“No,” he said. “That’s when life makes the most sense to me right now.”
It makes perfect sense, because even though MMA is one of the most complex of sports, it is a fight, and the path to winning that fight is usually very clear. Getting to the fight? That’s a whole other story, and it’s what Fugitt has been dealing with since he won his second UFC fight over Quinlan in June of 2024.
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Originally scheduled to return in February, first against Dulatov, then Billy Ray Goff, Fugitt had to deal with an injury that kept him sidelined until he got rebooked with Dulatov, but he did think of trying to come back earlier this year while not at a hundred percent. What changed his mind?
“When the coach sits down and looks at you and says, this is going to play out two ways,” laughs Fugitt before detailing his coach’s advice and the ultimate conclusion that neither of those two ways were going to be good. So Fugitt sat out, got healthy, and he’s back this weekend. That’s the simple version; reality is much more complicated in this game.