Khabib Nurmagomedov has publicly denied recent claims made by UFC president Dana White about the reasons behind his retirement from MMA.
The former UFC lightweight champion retired in 2020 after submitting Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. The victory pushed Khabib Nurmagomedov’s professional record to a perfect 29-0 and marked the final fight of his legendary career.
At the time, Khabib Nurmagomedov explained that he made a promise to his mother following the death of his father and longtime coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, that he would never fight again.
However, old comments from Dana White recently resurfaced online and reignited debate about the real reason behind Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement.
During an interview on the Prince St. Pizza YouTube channel, White suggested that Khabib Nurmagomedov walked away from the sport after earning huge money from appearances across several Muslim countries.
“We had our Muslim world champion,” White said. “But the problem is, they took him on a tour to Muslim countries. He went to Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and they showered him with money.
“He earned so much money that he no longer needed to fight. On top of that, his father passed away, which played a big role in his decision.”
The comments quickly spread online and eventually reached Khabib Nurmagomedov, who did not hold back in his response.
“Sometimes I read these headlines, and I am not a fan of giving commentaries to every nonsense on the internet, but when Dana talks, the news spreads fast,” Khabib Nurmagomedov wrote on his Instagram Stories.
“I’ll say this: I swear by Allah this is an absolute lie. Nobody ever gave me those millions, and it’s also not true that I left the sport because I made a lot of money.
“The whole world already knows the real truth. I’ve spoken about it many times and there’s no need to repeat it.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov has consistently rejected comeback offers since retiring from the UFC nearly six years ago. Despite constant speculation about a potential return, the Hall of Famer has repeatedly maintained that his fighting career is over.
The former lightweight king remains one of the most respected figures in MMA history, and his decision to retire while still undefeated continues to separate him from many other champions in the sport.
