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3 Years After Retirement, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Massive Handicap Against Justin Gaethje Revealed

Published 04/14/2023, 6:17 AM EDT

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Khabib Nurmagomedov was a force to be reckoned with in the octagon. His bouts against Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje are quite memorable. But it turns out, it wasn’t just his undefeated streak, discipline, and love for the sport that pushed him to achieve so much. There was so much more involved and his coach recently revealed that one thing Nurmagomedov possessed and how it set him apart from everyone else.

Mendez remembered how the camp once faced hurdles, but Nurmagomedov kept his vision in mind. As per the coach, the Dagestani was dealing with some physical troubles as they got close to an important event. The fighter, however, assured his coach that mentally he was feeling strong going into his fight against a very able opponent, Justin Gaethje.

Khabib Nurmagomedov won the fight despite being injured

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In a post that talked about Khabib Nurmagomedov’s final fight camp in Abu Dhabi, Mendez mentioned how he was worried if Nurmagomedov could make it to the fight in his prime form or not. He suggested Khabib push the fight dates ahead, but the fighter was confident that he could make it.

 

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In an Instagram post, Mendez wrote, So the final 4 weeks he breaks one of his Toes now I’m 100% he should cancel the fight. He says no Coach again to me. Then two weeks out from the fight I will never forget these words that made me more confident then anyone of his fights. He said to me Coach my Toe maybe broken but my mental is not!!”

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Khabib’s confidence assured Mendez that he was ready to take on the dangerous Gaethje. He ended up submitting the American in the second round and successfully defended his belt one last time.

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Nurmagomedov has set a culture of hard work and discipline

Despite the injury, the performance was clinical. Dagestani fighters have dominated the UFC in the recent past. Fans credit a lot of the success to the culture of working out hard that Khabib Nurmagomedov has created. He ensures all his trainees take their camp very seriously.

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Discipline remains paramount for Nurmagomedov and his teammates. The strict but effective workout program seems to have shown results. What do you think?

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Watch This Story: Conor McGregor takes Khabib’s advice to train at the Big Bear

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Written by:

Akshay Pallav

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Akshay Pallav is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. He is passionate about MMA and is dedicated to producing high-quality content that is both informative and engaging for readers. Akshay has extensive experience covering the sport, including interviewing top stars like Marlon Moraes and Sage Northcutt.
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Edited by:

Rohini Kottu