UFC Abu Dhabi fighter apologizes for demanding opponent’s release following loss: “I am severely disappointed in myself”

UFC Abu Dhabi is in the books, and one competitor who fell short in his bout this past Saturday is apologizing for his post-fight comments.

Mike Davis went on a social media rant after he was defeated by Nurullo Aliev via unanimous decision on the preliminary portion of the card. Davis was none too pleased with his opponent’s grappling and went as far as to call for his release from the UFC roster.

After having some time to reflect, Davis has since publicly apologized for expressing his frustration in defeat. He tagged Aliev and praised him for his sportsmanship.

“@NurulloAliev, hopefully you see this. I understand you were being a nice guy in the end- Amazing sportsmanship. In the heat of the moment, I was/am severely disappointed in myself. In what I went through to help the @ufc by flying out here, while sick and injured. Disappointed in what I was told before the fight, Disappointed that I wasnt able to give them what they wanted and secure my dream.

“I hope you never have to experience the pain of a loss. Its not your fault, you did what you are extremely good at and it worked. I respect that. I respect you. I appreciate you for taking the fight and being present in it all. I apologize for what i said. Im a damn good fighter and my frustration took over and my fear of not being able to help my family made me act out.

“Wish you great success brother.”

Davis has now gone 1-2 in his last three fights. He was riding a four-fight winning streak before being defeated by Farès Ziam in Riyadh. He rebounded with a second-round TKO finish over Mitch Ramirez with a flying knee.

As for Aliev, he improves his perfect pro MMA record to 12-0. The Dana White’s Contender Series alum has amassed a 4-0 record under the UFC banner. All four of Aliev’s UFC victories have gone the distance.

What do you make of Mike Davis’ apology? Sound off in the comments below.