Khabib Nurmagomedov has pushed back against Dana White’s public explanation for his retirement, denying that he walked away from MMA because of money.
The former UFC lightweight champion, who retired undefeated at 29-0, responded on social media on Wednesday after White’s comments about his financial status and decision to leave the sport.
"Sometimes I read these headlines, and I am not a fan of giving my commentaries to every nonsense on the internet, but when Dana talks, the news spread fast," Nurmagomedov wrote.
He then firmly rejected the claim that wealth was the driving factor behind his decision.
"I’II 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."
Nurmagomedov retired from the UFC as the reigning lightweight champion and has consistently said he kept a promise to his mother to leave the sport after unifying the title, following the death of his father and longtime coach in 2020 due to COVID-19 complications.
Since stepping away from competition, Nurmagomedov has remained active in MMA as a coach, working with Islam Makhachev and other fighters in Dagestan.
