Wellington Turman Opens Up on Late Fight Postponement July 25

Wellington Turman (18-8 MMA, 3-6 UFC) was all set to go last week for his return bout in UFC Abu Dhabi against Islam Dulatov (12-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC.) The July 25 undercard bout was to have been the welterweight's first appearance inside the fabled Octagon since December of 2023.

That weekend, he was defeated by way of second-round submission by way of rear-naked choke from Jared Gooden (23-12 MMA, 2-5 UFC.) Following that fight, a lengthy hiatus and shoulder surgeries ensued before a July 25 return date was set.

At the July 24 weigh-in window, the returning Wellington Turman came in on championship weight at 170 lbs, with his opponent making use of the 1-lb nontitle fight allowance to weigh-in at 171. Just hours before Wellington Turman was to make his first walk to the cage in more than two and a half years, everything changed.

Islam Dulatov Falls Ill Right Before Fight, Bout vs. Wellington Turman PPD

On the day of UFC Abu Dhabi, news broke via social media that Islam Dulatov would not be competing in the event due to suffering an infection, needing to go to the hospital. With no way for Wellington Turman to get a replacement opponent due to the lateness of the cancellation, his return to competition would need to wait for another Saturday night.

Recently, Wellington Turman talked to MMA Fighting about learning that his bout would be scrubbed right before he was to depart to Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

"It was heartbreaking," Wellington Turman began. "It's never a good feeling to go through an entire training camp to get there and fight, especially after everything I went through to make this comeback."

Wellington Turman on Islam Dulatov's Late Withdrawal from UFC Abu Dhabi

In spite of Dulatov making the welterweight nontitle maximum for the July 25 show without issue, he fell ill following the weigh-in window the day before the card. Turman mentioned his opponent's new approach to fight preparation may have been the catalyst for his illness.

"There's no way you can fight if you're sick and not feeling well," he continued, "but I think it showed a bit of a lack of professionalism. The guy has everything he could possibly need from the UFC PI. These people put together an entire fight plan to make sure a fighter is at his absolute best on fight night."

Turman said that instead of following the protocol set forth by the UFC PI, Dulatov instead subscribed to a bodybuilding coach's plan for UFC Abu Dhabi.

"They said that coach gave him some shakes and that's what made him sick," he mentioned. "That's one thing I don't understand. The guy isn't from the fight game and he's the one advising him, but what can you do? If someone's sick, there's nothing you can do about it."

Will Wellington Turman's Fight vs. Islam Dulatov be Rescheduled?

During UFC Abu Dhabi last weekend, the promotion revealed that it would be returning to the UAE on the night of Oct. 24 for UFC 333 in the same Etihad Arena where UFC Abu Dhabi was held. This will be the 24th UFC card to originate from Abu Dhabi and the 11th flagship event held there. 

While the fight for the UFC Featherweight Championship between Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev will be contested during UFC 333 on the weekend before Halloween, Wellington Turman wants to book the canceled fight from last weekend on the return trip to Abu Dhabi. Any rescheduling would be met with trepidation by him, however.

"I'd be a little cautious because I want to get to fight night and actually be able to show my work," he said. "We get part of the money, but that's not what I was hoping for."