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Ultimate Fighting Championship
Martial ArtsMixed Martial Arts

UFC 254: Dana White reveals Khabib fought Justin Gaethje with broken foot – ‘he’s baddest on the planet’

  • UFC president says lightweight champ was in hospital three weeks before Fight Island main event after breaking two toes and a bone in his foot
  • ‘We’re lucky we got to see him fight tonight,’ says White – ‘he’s the No 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world’

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Justin Gaethje kicks Khabib Nurmagomedov in their lightweight title bout at UFC 254 on Fight Island in Abu Dhahi. Photos: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Andrew McNicol

UFC president Dana White revealed that newly retired lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov had broken his foot before his title defence against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 on Sunday.

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The 32-year-old Nurmagomedov (29-0), of Dagestan, still beat Gaethje (22-3) via second-round triangle choke on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, in what he revealed would be his final professional fight.
At the post-event press conference, White added the fight “smelt like an upset” having analysed the Russian’s mannerisms in the lead-up. He had lost his father and coach Abdulmanap to complications stemming from contracting Covid-19 in July, and appeared massively relieved after officially making weight on Friday.

“I could tell, it almost smelt like an upset tonight,” White said. “The way he reacted at the weigh-ins, the way he acted when he was walking out tonight. He didn’t look like himself, breathing heavy. But wow.

“What this guy’s been through, we’re all lucky that we got to see him fight tonight. And I’m hearing rumours of other things ... apparently he was in hospital. He broke his foot ... three weeks ago.

“He has two broken toes and a bone in his foot that’s broken or something like that. That’s what his corner was telling me. [He] never told anybody, walking around.

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