Wellington Turman blames Islam Dulatov’s ‘lack of professionalism’ for ‘heartbreaking’ UFC Abu Dhabi fight cancellation

Wellington Turman's anticipated welterweight bout against Islam Dulatov at UFC Abu Dhabi was cancelled on fight day after Dulatov required hospitalization the night before. Turman, making his comeback after two and a half years away and four shoulder surgeries, blamed his opponent's "lack of professionalism" for the last-minute cancellation.

Turman learned of the cancellation while preparing at his hotel to head to the arena. "It was heartbreaking," he told MMA Fighting. "It's never a good feeling when you go through an entire training camp to get there and fight, especially after everything I went through to make this comeback."

According to details Turman's team gathered from Dulatov's camp, the hospitalization stemmed from poor nutritional choices following the weigh-in. Dulatov had been working with a bodybuilding coach outside the MMA world, who provided shakes that made the prospect ill. Turman expressed frustration that Dulatov wasn't utilizing UFC resources like the UFC Performance Institute, which provides fighters with comprehensive fight-week protocols. "The guy has everything he could possibly need in the UFC," Turman said. "There's no way you can fight if you're sick, but I think it showed a bit of a lack of professionalism."

While Turman confirmed he received his show money, he lamented missing the opportunity to demonstrate his improvements after an extended layoff. He remains open to rescheduling with Dulatov for UFC 333 on October 24 in Abu Dhabi, but expressed caution about committing to another bout with the prospect unless Dulatov proves he can maintain professionalism through fight week.