As depositions continue, questionable judgement arises in Abdusalamov case

Depositions are just beginning in a lawsuit that pits Magomed Abdusalamov and his family against doctors and officials from his 2013 fight who were supposed to protect him -- and let's just say a lot of questionable decisions are coming to light.

For starters, it has now been confirmed that Matt Farrago, the inspector for Abdusalamov's tragic fight in November 2013, acknowledged that he was fired by the New York State Athletic Commission for violating a commission directive. During a recent deposition, Farrago admitted that he took Abdusalamov's hand wraps as well as Gennady Golovkin's (who fought right after Abdusalamov) so that he could sell them to raise money for his Ring10 charity which serves indigent fighters - a practice prohibited by the commission and one he had been previously warned about. During his deposition Farrago also admitted that he had taken photos of Abdusalamov both before and after the fight as proof of authenticity for the hand wraps he was selling. Farrago was paid $52 to work as a commission inspector for the Abdusalamov-Perez fight.

"His [Farrago's] integrity, as the only commission official with my client at the end, was compromised by the fact that he became to some degree a fan with an ulterior motive having nothing to do with safety," said Paul Edelstein, attorney for the Abdusalamovs. "His job is to watch for my guy's safety every second -- almost like a bodyguard -- from start to finish, and surveillance video showed that he left the locker room while Abdusalamov was still in it."

After the Abdusalamov-Perez fight, which left Magomed with a broken hand, facial fracture, a deep laceration over his eye, and a blood clot in his brain, Magomed's handlers say that NYSAC doctors opted not to send him to a hospital in an on-site ambulance -- instead suggesting that he should be examined within days of returning back to his home in Florida.

In a previous ESPN report, Farrago mentioned that there was no sense of urgency in Abdusalamov's locker room after the fight, until doctors left the room and he saw blood in Abdusalamov's urine sample (which can be indicative of internal bleeding). At that point Farrago states that he didn't know where to find the commission doctors so he directed Abdusalamov's representatives to the exit, saying they should take Abdusalamov in a taxi to a nearby hospital.

Farrago's deposition also recounted that there were no discussions in a pre-fight meeting of inspectors and officials of anything that might pertain to a potential medical emergency - including doctors, ambulances, and emergency routes to hospitals. This part in particular seems rather unfathomable and reckless while overseeing a combat sport.

"The lack of preparedness relative to the need for medical attention was 100 percent, and it was all left in the hands of the inspector, and he's preoccupied with getting and selling the wraps," Edelstein added.

This past June, New York State attorney general has sued five of Abdusalamov's handlers, claiming that if there was inadequate medical care from the commission's medical team, then they are partly to blame as well - in what appears to be another round of point the finger.

Ultimately, the blood clot in Abdusalamov's brain resulted in several strokes which has left Abdusalamov unable to walk or talk, even now, two years later. Abdusalamov and his family currently reside in Connecticut where he continues to undergo rehabilitation. At this point, his medical bills have surpassed $2 million, which has left the family destitute and in dire straits. Farrago's Ring10 charity has contributed roughly $190,000 towards Abdusalamov's medical care, with half of that coming directly from HBO who televised the fight.