UFC 281's Ottman Azaitar laughs off questions about bag incident: 'It's not a Mission Impossible movie'

NEW YORK – Ottman Azaitar cannot escape questions about his incident ahead of UFC 257.

Since the moment in January 2021 that led to his release from the UFC, Azaitar (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has faced repeated questions about the infamous bag that was left on his hotel balcony on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.

Ahead of his scheduled bout against Matt Frevola at UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden, Azaitar responded to more questions about the incident with laughter and superhero-themed hypothetical scenarios.

“Why this big secret around this bag?” Azaitar rebutted at Wednesday’s media day. “It’s not a ‘Mission Impossible’ movie. … If I wanted to sneak something in, I could have done it without the Mission Impossible or sending Spider-Man to give Batman something, and Ant-Man make small, big, and Superman from up and however. You know?”

Azaitar did not speak on Frevola (9-3-1 MMA, 3-3-1 UFC), who was the same opponent he was set to face at UFC 257, but he did address the relief of being able to return to training after injuries and being welcomed back into the UFC after everything that took place.

You can watch Azaitar’s full media day interview in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.