Ivo Baranieski understands Bogdan Guskov's decision to decline short-notice fight

Ivo Baranieski has responded graciously to Bogdan Guskov's decision to turn down a short-notice fight against him. Baranieski explained that he understands Guskov's position, noting that Guskov had been scheduled to face Petr Yan, who is ranked fourth in the division, in what could have been a genuine title eliminator bout. The unranked Baranieski acknowledged that being offered a fight against an unranked opponent when a high-profile ranked matchup was already in place made the refusal understandable. Baranieski's response was praised for its maturity, as he avoided the typical accusations of his opponent being afraid and instead showed respect for the competitive reasoning behind the decision.