Escape From Azerbaijan : MMA Coach Ray Longo Returning Home From UFC Fight Night
In June of this year the UFC held UFC on ABC: Hill vs. Rountree Jr in Baku, Azerbaijan. Legendary MMA coach Ray Longo was in attendance at the event. Ray Longo has coached several UFC athletes over the years. Including 4 UFC champions : Matt Serra , Chris Weidman, Aljamain Sterling and most recently Merab Dvalishvili. Coaching his Fighter Nazim Sadykhov in Baku, Azerbaijan who would go on to win an epic battle against Nikolas Motta. The UFC would award Nazim Sadykhov both Performance of the night as well as Fight of the Night awards. Ray Longo during a podcast appearance reveled other circumstances that surrounded a seemingly normal UFC Fight Night card.
“I Just want to see my kids again” Ray Longo Reveals Scary Experience coming home
While making his regularly scheduled appearance on “The Ray Longo Minute” segment of the Anik & Florian Podcast, Ray had quite a story to tell. He began by recounting how, before even arriving in Baku, he witnessed a possible terrorist gas attack at the Naples airport.
“I’m hearing fucking screaming—‘Run, everybody out!’ People were flying and stomping on each other to get out,” he said. Once outside, Ray noted that no one really had answers, but someone told him, “Someone must’ve sprayed something in the air conditioner—it smelled funky.”
Ray also mentioned how family and friends were texting him, praying for him, and asking, “What the fuck is wrong with you?” The shock was visible on the faces of Kenny Florian and Jon Anik as he spoke.
Ray then described the beauty of Baku and its people. While at dinner the night before the fight, a UFC employee contacted him, saying, “It’s a level two—they’re changing everyone’s flights. They want people out of here quick.”
After the fight, Ray couldn’t sleep due to the excitement of his fighter’s win. About 30 minutes later, he picked up his phone and saw a news alert: Tump had just bombed Iran.
“This is bullshit, man. This guy couldn’t wait two fucking weeks!” Longo exclaimed. The UFC began changing everyone’s flights again.
With tensions rising, Ray left for Istanbul immediately. While waiting in the business class lounge at the Istanbul airport, he ran into former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jamahal Hill, who had fought in the main event the night before.
Hill told him he’d left bags in his room because they told him he had to get out fast. The two spent the next 8 to 12 hours in the terminal, talking and passing time.
“I just want to see my kids again,” Ray recalled thinking.
Recounting the story from an Italian hotel room via Zoom, Longo’s experience left listeners stunned.
Despite everything, Ray made a point to highlight the kindness and beauty of the Azerbaijani people, even in the midst of a terrifying experience. The MMA community can breathe a little easier knowing that one of the sport’s great coaches made it home safe.
