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‘I said’ you just made your dad really proud ”: Justin Gaethje reveals touching moment shared with emotional Khabib Nurmagomedov inside the Octagon after the Dagestan star’s dominant victory at the UFC 254
- Justin Gaethje revealed the emotional moment he shared with Khabib
- The lightweight champion broke down in tears after winning UFC 254
- Nurmagomedov was shaken by the loss of his father Abdulmanap this year
- Gaethje, 31, revealed he told the UFC King his dad would be proud
Justin Gaethje revealed what he said to Khabib Nurmagomedov immediately following his loss to UFC 254 during emotional scenes inside the Octagon on Fight Island.
The Highlight entered the lightweight title fight with huge momentum after beating perennial winner Tony Ferguson to earn his shot against the King of Dagestan.
But Nurmagomedov demonstrated why he’s one of the greatest fighters to have graced the sport with another dominant performance, setting a frantic pace in the first round before securing a triangle submission in the second.
Justin Gaethje revealed what he said to emotional Khabib Nurmagomedov after UFC 254
The Highlight was seen consoling the Dagestan star after his Fight Island victory
And after securing his 29th career victory, Nurmagomedov let out a flood of emotions in the center of the octagon, releasing months of accumulated agony after the untimely death of his father, Abdulmanap.
The 57-year-old man died of coronavirus at a Moscow hospital in July, and his death was excruciating for the lightweight champion who idolized the man who fed him and developed him into a star of the UFC.
Gaethje was seen consoling the 32-year-old as the couple were alone in the octagon, and the American revealed the soothing words he gave to the champion.
Nurmagomedov was shaken by the loss of his father Abdulmanap (L) to the coronavirus
“I said ‘I didn’t have a chance to tell you that I’m so sorry for the loss of your dad, but you just made your dad really proud,’ the fan favorite told BT Sport. .
Gaethje’s third career loss is a blow, but the 31-year-old is confident he can bounce back.
“Right now, it hurts,” he admitted. “There aren’t a lot of people who can make me feel better. It’s on me. I have to go home and I have to take care of it myself because I intervened alone.
Asked by Jon Anik in the Octagon after the fight, Gaethje said sharing the stage with Nurmagomedov made him feel “alive”.
Gaethje told Khabib that Abdulmanap would have been proud of his son after the victory
“I felt alive. This is why I am intervening here. Adrenaline, endorphins released. The only reason I stayed here was to praise this principal. He’s tough, he’s so strong, he made his father so proud.
‘I am fighting for a living. The best thing about suffocation is that there isn’t anything that really matters for your long term health. I’m ready for the next one every time. I’m in good shape, I don’t want to go too far. So six weeks, eight weeks.
After Khabib’s shock retirement from mixed martial arts, it won’t be long before Gaethje gets another lightweight title shot, with The Highlight in the mix alongside Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson and Conor McGregor.
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