Focused on UFC Boise, Jessica Aguilar says she’s letting attorneys deal with NYSAC mess

Jessica Aguilar was supposed to fight Jodie Esquibel last month at UFC Utica. She went through a training camp, cut weight and arrived at Adirondack Bank Center in upstate New York City. But the fight didn’t go off.

The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) yanked Aguilar from the planned bout for a “potentially contagious” medical condition, a spokesperson for the New York Department of State would later say. Aguilar says she just had chapped lips at weigh-ins and was applying balm when the NYSAC officials singled her out.

The spokesperson said that Aguilar’s condition worsened overnight and that’s why the fight was canceled. Aguilar says she was cleared by a dermatologist on weigh-in day and nothing was ever wrong.

Now, Aguilar told MMA Fighting, her lawyers are handling the situation and she could seek legal action against the commission. She has been re-booked against Esquibel for UFC Boise on Saturday night in Idaho.

“I was the sacrificial lamb that day [in Utica],” Aguilar said. “It is what it is. I’ve been talking about it for the last month. It’s something my attorneys are dealing with. I’m moving forward. I’m just thinking about my fight, what’s in front of me now. And I’m ready to get this over with.”

Aguilar, 36, said she is not sure if she’ll go full bore into a lawsuit. For now, that isn’t even on her mind.

“It’s pretty hard to go against the commission,” Aguilar said. “It’ll cost a lot of money. They just don’t think about how much they affect, not only my career, but my whole entire life, my reputation that I’ve always had clear. Just everything. I don’t know why [NYSAC executive director Kim Sumbler] did that, but they’re taking care of that right now. Right now, all I want to focus on is my fight Saturday and leave that up to the attorneys and see what they can do about it.”

Against Esquibel, Aguilar is not being bashful. She is promising a finish, something that will put her right back in the conversation at women’s strawweight, the division she once reigned over for quite some time.

“I’m gonna go out very aggressive and I’m looking for the finish,” Aguilar said. “Either via KO or submission, stoppage — it doesn’t matter. I’m gonna get the stop. I’m gonna stop the fight — somehow, some way. I’m gonna stop the fight and I’m going for that bonus.”

Aguilar’s UFC run has not gone as planned for her. She lost by unanimous decision to Claudia Gadelha in her promotional debut in August 2015, then tore her ACL and was out nearly two years. Last year, in her return against Cortney Casey, Aguilar lost by unanimous decision, but the fight was originally overturned when the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) found that Casey had tested positive for a banned substance.

As it turns out, after further testing, Casey was clean and the fight result went back to a win for her. Aguilar was supposed to fight next back in February against Livia Renata Souza, but Souza got injured and had to pull out. Esquibell was the next opponent at UFC Utica, but that fight was also dashed.

Through it all, the Mexico native and longtime Florida resident is keeping her head held high.

“It doesn’t matter,” Aguilar said. “I’m gonna be ready for whatever comes my way. Just keep it coming and I’ll keep breaking the walls, I’ll keep dodging things that come my way. I’ve just gotta stay focused, focused on my game plan and winning. Everything else to the side. I know it’s been a rough year. Since I’ve gotten to the UFC, it hasn’t been as easy as I thought it was gonna be. It’s been a lot of ups and downs. But hey, that’s what this game is all about, that’s what life is all about and I’m just focused. I’m just staying focused and looking for the victory Saturday night.”

Aguilar won 10 straight fights between 2010 and 2014 for promotions like Bellator and World Series of Fighting. She owns wins over Carla Esparza and legend Megumi Fujii (twice). Since getting to the UFC, though, things have gone a bit awry. Aguilar believes she can get back up to that level once again.

“I’m confident,” she said. “I feel confident. I feel good out there. I’m having fun again. I see how I’ve improved in my training. And my experience, I have so much experience, I have so much skills. I have more fights than probably rounds put together that she’s trained, I’m not sure. But I’ve been doing this for a long time. Two losses and some injuries are not gonna hold me down. It’ll just make me stronger.”