Wrong translation alert.
Francisco Prado went to war with Daniel Zellhuber last night at UFC Mexico City (Sat., Feb 24, 2024), but ended up losing a unanimous decision from inside Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico. The pair of Lightweights won Fight of the Night and added a nice $50,000 bonus to their purse.
Between rounds two and three of the fight, Prado’s head coach Asim Zaidi was giving his fighter instructions, and on the broadcast, it was translated as “Just go for the center, okay? You don’t need your eyes.”
The clip made its rounds on social media and caused a lot of backlash as Prado’s right eye was badly damaged and nearly shut.
Hours after the fight, Zaidi took to social media to clarify what he really said.
“You don’t need your eyes in close range! You need your eyes in long range,” Zaidi wrote. “Do not fight him in the center! Fight him in the clinch, so you don’t rely on your eyes.”
MMAMania.com also spoke with Zaidi after the social media backlash to get his thoughts on the wrong translation.
“It was a very special moment between my fighter and I. At that moment both of us were willing to die for a victory,” Zaidi said. “I gave the highest percentage strategy for success. Clinch fighting and grappling is the only way to fight effectively without your eyes. Unfortunately, the translator let me down big time lol. I look like a meat head coach now. Well, it is what it is.”
MMAMania.com also confirmed with promotion officials that Prado was transported to the local hospital following his hard-fought battle for a precautionary CT scan of his head and face. The results are pending.
Prado, 21, falls to 1-2 inside the UFC, however, he has received Performance Bonuses in his last two fights.
For complete UFC Mexico City results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
