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Khabib Nurmagomedov Shares Images of Injury Prior to UFC 254 Fight

Published 10/27/2020, 11:08 AM EDT

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Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the gutsiest men in MMA, and that isn’t questioned often. When there is video evidence of that man fighting bears at 9, one would assume not much can stop this man’s body. That is actually quite true for Khabib and was on display in his last fight against Justin Gaethje.

Considering how Khabib retired after this fight, we have seen him in the cage for one last time. But one thing not many people knew was that Khabib Nurmagomedov went into the fight injured. While it was soon revealed after the fight, there were still no details on what exactly was wrong with Khabib heading into the fight. It had been classified as a broken foot by Dana White.

Now that the fight is over and the chatter is slowing down, pictures of Khabib’s injury have surfaced. It showed Khabib’s X-Ray 17 days before the fight along with a picture of his swollen foot.

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Considering how Justin Gaethje was attacking Khabib with leg kicks, the leg and foot damage may have irritated Khabib if the fight went on for long. But a second-round finish meant that Khabib can pull the curtain on his career and not go out with a serious injury.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov and his UFC 254 performance

Considering he fought with a broken toe, Khabib’s performance must seem a lot more impressive. Especially considering the aggressive striking of Khabib, which forced the Dagestani to have clever movement to not be on the receiving end of a knockout blow. However, Khabib’s wrestling prevailed as usual.

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Khabib choked Gaethje out in the second round to make it an early night. However, Gaethje was landing big shots on Khabib prior. Two judges gave the first round to Gaethje based on his productivity on the striking end. But the judges were obviously not needed, as Khabib never intended to go a full five rounds on a bad foot.

It was a fitting end to Khabib’s career if it really is the end. From the looks of it, he seemed very serious about ending his career. This final performance is another testament to his grit and toughness inside the cage.

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Written by:

Ishaan Bhattacharya

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is an NBA, NCAA Basketball, and Combat Sports writer at EssentiallySports. Currently, Ishaan is pursuing a Post Graduate Degree in Journalism from Xavier's Institute of Communication. Previously, Ishaan has written for The Indian Express, The Quint, Sportskeeda, and WrestleClub.
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