EA Sports officials would probably rather not have had to deal with a religion-based controversy in their newly released UFC video game.
But here they are. Credit where it's due, though: When lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov spoke up about the misrepresentation, EA Sports listened.
In a message published Tuesday on Nurmagomedov's Instagram account (h/t MMA Fighting), EA Sports apparently apologized to the undefeated Dagestani for the error and pledged to fix it in the game's next update.
In text accompanying the post, Nurmagomedov wrote he forgives the error and essentially considers the matter closed:
I have nothing against Christians. Every man in this life has his own way, and my way is Islam. Developers of the game made mistake. Let's be honest, every human being made mistakes, and I'm not holding a grudge. They apologized and promised to fix it. Hopefully, next time they wouldn't make mistakes like this, and take account everybody's religion.
The issue stems from a victory sign Nurmagomedov's character makes in EA Sports UFC 2, which was released March 15. After winning a fight in the game, the character uses his arms to make a cross sign. Just days after the game's release, Nurmagomedov, a devout Muslim, became aware of the situation and took his objection to Twitter, saying the gesture inaccurately portrayed his religious beliefs.
I'm a MUSLIM and not Baptized. Please @EASPORTSUFC edit my after fight celebration. I have a lot of Muslim fans and you have to respect it.
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) March 19, 2016
Now that EA Sports has apologized, it appears the controversy is at an end.
The 27-year-old lightweight is 22-0, including a mark of 6-0 in the UFC. He is the only fighter to defeat current 155-pound champion Rafael Dos Anjos in the champ's last 11 contests.
A litany of injuries, however, has hampered Nurmagomedov in the cage recently, causing him to miss nearly two years of action and counting. He is currently scheduled to return to the Octagon on April 16 in a title eliminator bout with fellow contender Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC on Fox 19.
