Dana White Says Khabib Nurmagomedov ‘Broke His Foot’ Before Fighting Justin Gaethje at UFC 254

Khabib Nurmagomedov retained his UFC Lightweight Championship against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. It was a conflicting fight week for the superstar, as he was learning to deal with the rigors of fighting without his father by his side. That also prompted Khabib to announce his retirement from the sport after his win.

Dana White recognized the achievements that Khabib has racked up in the post-fight press conference. He revealed that Khabib fought through secret foot injuries and is in the GOAT talk in his opinion.

He said, “What this guy has been through, we are all lucky that we got to see him fight tonight. I am hearing rumors about other things that I didn’t know about that you guys will hear about when he comes out later. Apparently, he was in the hospital, he broke his foot. Three weeks ago. So he has two broken toes and a bone in his foot that is broken, or something like that.”

That’s what his corner was telling me, and they never told anybody. He was just walking around. He is one of the toughest human beings on the planet and he is the number one pound for pound fighter in the world and seriously, I am starting to put him up in GOAT status.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov retiring from MMA

With White revealing that Khabib fought through injury, his reasons for retirement became a little clearer. The process of preparing for an MMA fight is grueling, especially in ‘The Eagle’s’ case. He had a hard weight cut and did it while injured, which really put into perspective everything he had to go through.

His retirement comes after he emphasized improving his legacy in the sport. Nurmagomedov even angled for a fight against Georges St-Pierre. But there other forces at play here. With Khabib’s mental game also a little rocked, it is best if he does whatever he feels comfortable doing right now. There isn’t anything more the world of fighting can offer him as an active competitor. Maybe this is the first time fans see a championship fighter retire with an unblemished record.

This was just another example of Khabib Nurmagomedov displaying his professionalism. Even if he’s hurt, he will fulfill his commitments without complaining. Maybe that is the perfect statement to make before exiting the sport.