Khabib Nurmagomedov had a swollen face before his fight against Justin Gaethje (MMA Mania)
Khabib Nurmagomedov was suffering from the mumps, broke a thumb and saw his face swell up before his UFC 254 clash against Justin Gaethje
Khabib Nurmagomedov might be considered as one of the greatest UFC fighters of all-time. He is 29-0 in his career and has dominated most of his rivals inside the Octagon.
However, his final fight, against Justin Gaethje was an emotional one. Khabib’s father had passed away and there were doubts he would return to the Octagon.
The Eagle did fight against Gaethje and produced a stunning submission win. Khabib then immediately retired but has now shared all the problems leading up to the fight.
The Russian was speaking to ACA fighter Magomed Ismailov (h/t MMA Mania) and confirmed he was suffering from the mumps months ahead of the fight.
“I started feeling worse on the plane and when we arrive, I get a high fever.”
Khabib then added that he was sent to the ICU for five days and his face had swollen a lot too:
“It was getting really bad and after a while, I was taken to the hospital, and I had intensive care for five days. It was really bad.”
Khabib could only start his campaign on 24 September, which was just one month away from his battle against Gaethje.
However, more bad luck was to follow for the Russian.
While there were suggestions that Khabib had broken a toe before his fight against Gaethje, the Russian explained that he actually broke a thumb.
“But after 10 days, I broke my thumb,” he said. “I broke my thumb on October 7.”
Khabib also contemplated pulling out of the fight but ultimately decided against it. The Russian certainly overcame a lot to get the win and the emotions were there for all to see.
Further, Khabib also looked extremely emotional during the weigh-ins and the full story has now been shared.
The Russian certainly did his bit to stay the champion and it is a miracle how his performance was this good against Gaethje.
Breaking a thumb a month before a fight would have been a problem for many but not for Khabib, it seems.
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