Khabib Nurmagomedov has said that people never got to see his true limits in fighting. He explained that he did not want to keep putting his mother through the anxiety of another fight camp.
He said that losing his father was difficult. He was the person he was doing it for. He wanted to become a champion for him. The training camp for his fight against Justin Gaethje was not his best. He had injury after injury.
Nobody knew that it would be his last fight. No one knew about the conversation he had with his mother. He had to finish it because putting himself through all of that again would have been too hard. He explained that if he got injured and the fight fell through, all the anxiety he goes through for three months, his mother goes through it too. He wanted to put an end to it.
“You’ve never seen my limit in fights. I lost my father. It was hard to pull myself together. He was the person I was doing it for, the person I wanted to become champion for. The Gaethje training camp wasn’t the best. I had injury after injury”, said Khabib
“Nobody had any idea that was going to be my last fight. No one knew about the talk I had with my mother. I had to finish it because putting myself through all of that yet again would have just been too hard for me. If I got injured and the fight fell through, all the anxiety I go through for three months, my mother goes through it too. I wanted to put an end to it,” former lightweight champion added.
Related Article: Islam Makhachev vs Ian Garry: UFC 330 Fight Preview
Khabib Names Conor McGregor as His Toughest Fight Mentally
Khabib Nurmagomedov has named Conor McGregor as his toughest fight mentally. He said this in an interview with Lex Fridman.
UFC 229 took place on October 6, 2018. It was the culmination of a long feud between the two lightweight stars. Khabib had claimed the UFC lightweight title in McGregor’s absence. McGregor had vacated the belt to fight Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match. He had a chance to win it back against the undefeated champion.
The build-up to the fight was deeply personal. McGregor took shots at every aspect of Khabib’s life. He talked about his family, his religion, and his background. Khabib said that McGregor’s words got to him. He said fighting is all psychology and a mental game. Mentally, McGregor was his toughest fight at that point.
Khabib said a tougher fight came later. That was his October 2020 retirement bout against Justin Gaethje. His father and lifelong coach Abdulmanap had died earlier that year. Khabib said it was hard to pull himself together. Everything piled up at once. His father was gone. Training without the person he was doing it for was difficult.
The training camp itself was not his best. He had injury after injury. But mentally, he stayed completely sharp. He defeated Gaethje and then announced his retirement with a spotless 29-0 record.
Khabib said McGregor’s personal attacks made the fight so challenging. At the same time, he acknowledged that McGregor’s personality helped sell the fight. He said the rivalry was real and not staged. People could feel that energy. He said it went beyond their sport and impacted other sports as well.
Khabib was asked if there would ever be a bigger UFC fight. He compared it to boxing’s great rivalries. He mentioned Ali vs. Frazier and Pacquiao vs. Mayweather. He said his fight with McGregor captured the imagination of fans in a similar way. He believes there will always be champions and rivalries. It is only a matter of time before another fight like that happens.
Khabib Praises Dana White’s Ruthless Approach to UFC Business
Khabib Nurmagomedov has praised UFC president Dana White for his ability to separate business from personal relationships. He said White operates with cold blood, which allows him to make tough decisions that are often criticized. He believes it is White’s ability to make those decisions regardless of backlash that has pushed the UFC to the top.
Khabib compared White to an Italian mafia boss. He said that for such figures, family always comes first. In White’s case, the UFC comes before anything else. Khabib acknowledged that many people contributed to the UFC’s success. But he believes White has always played the most important role.
Khabib said White is very good at separating business and personal relationships. For him, they never overlap. He draws a clear line between them. He said White has made major decisions regardless of whether people liked him or not. Those decisions were best for the UFC. He said White always had that mentality from mafia movies where family comes first. For him, the UFC always came first. That is how he was able to push the brand forward.
FAQs
Q. Did Khabib Nurmagomedov reach his full potential?
A. Khabib said people never saw his true limits as a fighter.
Q. Why did Khabib retire from fighting?
A. Khabib did not want his mother to suffer more fight camp anxiety.
Q. When did Khabib fight Conor McGregor?
A. They fought at UFC 229 on October 6, 2018.
Q. Who did Khabib fight in his final bout?
A. Khabib fought Justin Gaethje in October 2020.
Q. What was Khabib’s final MMA record?
A. Khabib retired with a perfect 29-0 record.
Get UFC Event Updates & MMA Fixtures at IceCric.News and Follow for Live Updates – Facebook & Instagram.
