Fighter Addresses Defeat and Past Allegations

He stood in the aftermath of defeat and reached for something far bigger than a scorecard.

In a lengthy personal statement, the fighter addressed resurfaced allegations from his college years that had been pushed into the spotlight by his opponent during fight week, insisting he “did not do anything alleged” and stressing that the case had been examined and closed long ago.

“This statement is for my family, my friends, my fans and the people who truly know me and know the kind of man I am,” he began, drawing a clear line between those who stand with him and those who never will. “I know there are people who will never support me, no matter what I say or do. That’s their choice.”

The trigger, he said, was his opponent’s decision to bring up an old incident in the build-up to the bout, a move he believes was designed to unsettle him mentally as much as to sway public opinion.

“Prior to and during fight week, an incident from my college years was brought up by my opponent. I believe it was raised to get in my head but it also reopened something that had been addressed years ago,” he said. “I want to be clear — I did not do anything alleged. I was never charged with a crime and the matter was ultimately dropped by the district attorney.”

He underlined that the case, which also went through a separate Title IX review, had not been swept aside.

“The allegations were not ignored nor brushed aside. They were thoroughly and heavily reviewed as I fully cooperated with law enforcement, including a separate Title IX review,” he explained.

From there, he moved to the outcome of those processes, stressing the absence of any legal finding against him.

“There were no criminal charges, no conviction, and no finding of responsibility against me. The matter was closed and there is no pending legal issue involving me,” he said. He added that his own attorney conducted an independent investigation and “stated on the record that even if the law was changed, I would have the same outcome, which now speaks for itself.”

He acknowledged the weight of such accusations and the way partial information can shape public perception.

“I understand how serious allegations like this are and I understand that people may have questions when they hear only part of a story,” he said.

Then came a pivot. Away from the noise, back to the tight circle he trusts most.

“Moving forward, I am going to keep focusing on my wife, my daughter, my family and the work in front of me,” he wrote. “To the people who support me, thank you. I know who I am. My family knows who I am. The people who have walked with me through life know who I am. That’s what matters to me and that’s where I’m going to keep my focus.”

Only after that did he turn to the fight itself.

There was no excuse, no attempt to rewrite what everyone had just seen. Just a blunt concession and a promise.

“As for my opponent, congratulations, you caught me. A mistake on my end was made. It was your night,” he admitted.

He reached back to his wrestling roots to frame what comes next, recalling how previous setbacks had fuelled his rise.

“Just like my wrestling days after my loss, I came back with an undeniable will to win and focus that led me to the top of my sport,” he said. “The result of Saturday night, I believe, will catapult me to do the same. I will be great and this won’t deny me.”

The defeat belongs to his opponent. The response, he made clear, will define him.