Published 18:59 IST, December 15th 2020
Khabib Nurmagomedov shares footage of his scary weight cut for Justin Gaethje bout: Watch
Khabib Nurmagomedov released a video on his YouTube page which shows the tortuous weight-cutting process he went through ahead of his fight with Justin Gaethje.
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Khabib Nurmagomedov recently released a video on his YouTube page which shows the tortuous weight-cutting process he went through ahead of his fight with Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. The Russian, who is currently the UFC pound-for-pound king, has always faced problems while cutting weight. He was once hospitalised while cutting weight, with doctors telling him that he almost died. Because of this, Khabib Nurmagomedov was forced to withdraw from his bout against Tony Ferguson at UFC 209.
“The doctor say, ‘you cannot fight. You almost die. How you fight? How you can fight if you almost die? ... No way. We say no fight, 100 percent. No make weight. No fight. No nothing,” Nurmagomedov said in an interview.
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Khabib vs Gaethje: Eagle’s tortuous weight-cutting process
The recently released video, which focuses on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s last fight, shows the weight-making process in detail. Wearing a sweatsuit, Khabib can be seen jumping on and off the treadmill and doing various exercises, even covering himself in towels, to push his body in an attempt to sweat out the last few pounds. The fighter, who looks uncharacteristically downbeat throughout the process, even gets into a portable sauna to lose the last few grams.
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Khabib vs Gaethje: The Eagle makes the cut
At one point, a member of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team comments on the champion’s state, saying, “we are not used to seeing him in this state, but it’s fine”. However, despite being at his limit, Nurmagomedov pushes on, with huge help from his teammates. After going through the tortuous process, The Russian leaves his room to officially weigh-in for his title bout with Justin Gaethje.
Khabib Nurmagomedov had a concerned look while stepping on the scale, but after he made the cut, he took a breath of relief. Not just that, the Eagle went on to successfully defend his title against Justin Gaethje by forcing the challenger to submit in the second round. After the bout, Khabib Nurmagomedov shocked the world by announcing his retirement from the sport, stating that he has no interest in fighting after the passing of his influential father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
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Image Source: Khabib Nurmagomedov/ YouTube
18:59 IST, December 15th 2020