Robert Drysdale is standing by his actions.

The lead cornerman for UFC newcomer Max Rohskopf, Drysdale was criticized by many in the MMA space for his work during Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 11.

In a video statement released Sunday, Drysdale, a former UFC fighter and elite jiu-jitsu practitioner, stood by his cornering. Drysdale said it’s a lot easier for people to criticize from the outside when they don’t have all the facts.

“I stand by what I did,” Drysdale said. “I gave him the mental coach that he needed. I would expect the exact same thing from him if he was in my shoes – or any of my coaches for that matter. I expect nothing but greatness from the people around me. If they’re critiquing me, that’s love. That’s true love. That’s the only way to show you care for someone. It’s to make sure they’re giving the best version of themselves.

“If he had been seriously injured, I would have been the first one to stop that fight. I would’ve stopped that fight before anyone else. No one cares about him more than I do other than his immediate family.”

Had he thought Rohskopf’s issue was physical, Drysdale said he would’ve been the first to stop the fight. However, Drysdale said knowing Max, the issue was mental and emotional. He was trying to give Rohskopf a push to go out for the third round in a fight Drysdale deemed winnable.

“He wasn’t seriously hurt,” Drysdale said. “I know he was not in harm’s way. He was just frustrated. I was trying to give him a push so he overcame that frustration. I still believe he could have won the fight. I felt he won the first round. I don’t see how he lost the first round. He definitely lost (the second) round. I think he thought he could’ve turned it in the third. Even if not in an exciting matter, he could have won a decision. That’s what I was trying to get him to do.”

According to Drysdale, he made the decision to call off Rohskopf’s fight at the last second. He said he was trying to give his fighter as much time to change his mind as possible.

“If you pay close attention, I did call the fight at the very last second,” Drysdale said. “I did the right thing. I exhausted the 60 seconds and at the very last second, I called it. Strategically, that was the correct thing to do. I don’t regret my decision at all.”

From there, Drysdale criticized the media for its coverage of the sequence of events on Sunday. Whether it be the media or “the haters,” Drysdale said he would never step into another profession’s realm and critique the experts. He hopes people will give him that same respect.

“I think you should stand by some code of ethics that you don’t see in journalism today,” Drysdale said. “The video is edited in a way that there is no context. It looks like he’s severely injured and clearly, he wasn’t. There needs to be more context to these things. But, it is what it is. I hope the UFC gives him another shot. I know he’s a champion. That doesn’t change how I feel about him one bit.

“… As for the haters, the only thing I recommend is that you give it a try one day. It’s easier said than done. You don’t see me writing critiques on academic papers on quantum physics. You know why? Because I don’t understand quantum physics. You don’t see me making critical statements about basketball or football – because I never played basketball or football. I barely understand any aspect of it, so I keep it to myself. I try to focus on the things I do understand. I understand fighting. Max was apt. He is apt to be a champion. I have no doubts about that.”

Check out Drysdale’s full statement below:

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No regrets. I stand by my actions and by his well-being. @ufc @danawhite @suckerpunchent @arielhelwani @maxxingout155 #mma #ufc #wearezenith

A post shared by Robert Drysdale (@robertdrysdalejj) on Jun 21, 2020 at 11:06am PDT