JUSTIN GAETHJE was the most powerful fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov faced in UFC, the Russian superstar has revealed.
Khabib, 32, quit MMA after beating the American in October of last year – successfully defending his lightweight world title for a third time.
Although the fight was over via a technical submission in the second round, the legend has detailed how his game plan changed in the Octagon due to Gaethje's punching and kicking strength.
He told Mike Tyson's Hotboxin' podcast: "This guy, he hit like a truck.
"Nobody hit me harder than Justin Gaethje – his kick, his punch, left hook, right hook, right uppercut…
"But I made him hit me.
"When I went to the cage I was like, 'I'm going to go and bring him to the deep ocean, I'm going to make him tired while standing and bring him to the ground and finish him there'.
"He is a very good wrestler and at the beginning of the fight I knew he wouldn't let me wrestle him."
The showdown was Khabib's first and only fight after the death of his father, Abdulmanap, from coronavirus in July 2020.
And the UFC champion outlined how that factor weighed heavily on his mind during the fight.
I got him into an arm bar and thought, 'Maybe he's locked up and I'm going to break his arm in front of his parents'.
He continued: "I got through his punches and kicks and with everything that happened to my father, I always thought: 'Nothing to lose'.
"My coach told me, 'Listen to the game plan, take him down'. But I didn't listen to everything he said because I was very emotional."
Khabib retired with a 29-0 record following the victory, which came after he put Gaethje in a triangle choke on the floor.
But it could have been a much more gruesome end to the fight and the Russian admitted to pulling out of an arm bar move on his opponent, so that he did not break Gaethje's arm in front of his parents.
Khabib recalled: "I met his parents three days before the fight and I knew they were going to be there.
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"I know he's very tough and never gives up. I got him into an arm bar and thought, 'Maybe he's locked up and I'm going to break his arm in front of his parents'.
"And I transitioned to the triangle choke. You know how when you choke people, if they don't tap they sleep.
"This is much better than if you break your opponent's arm."
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