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

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.

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.

“He is one of the toughest human beings on the planet. He is the No 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Seriously, you have to put him in ‘GOAT’ [greatest of all time] status with whoever else you think is the ‘GOAT’.”

Retirements can be fleeting in this sport, but White said he believed Nurmagomedov really will walk away for good. He asked the MMA community to give Nurmagomedov – who did not appear at the press conference – some time to “heal not physically but emotionally, too”.

Khabib – who was originally supposed to fight contender Tony Ferguson before 31-year-old Gaethje stunned “El Cucuy” to win the interim belt in May – beat Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor via third-round and fourth-round chokes, respectively, in his two previous fights.

“He is the baddest [expletive] on the planet. The pressure that Khabib puts on you is unbelievable. Literally, he didn’t respect [Gaethje’s] punching power, he just walked straight into everything. He did what he wanted,” White said.

“When he was trying for the arm bar in the first round, I was like, ‘Oh my god, is he gonna try and pull off an arm bar’, then the second he locks up the submission and chokes him out. Unbelievable, and he didn’t lose either round.”