Khabib Nurmagomedov on UFC 209 hospitalization: ‘I feel I almost died’

Many fans were upset when they heard the news that the UFC 209 interim lightweight title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson was canceled a day before the fight was supposed to take place.

Numagodemov was admitted into a Las Vegas hospital hours before the weigh-ins were set to take place. According to the UFC’s statement that was released regarding the cancellation of the bout between Numagomedov and Ferguson, “Nurmagomedov was transported to Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center Thursday evening due to weight management medical issues.”

“The Eagle” spoke on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour about the incident.

“This is not about diet, this is about my health,” Nurmagomedov told host Ariel Helwani (transcribed by Oscar Willis for The Mac Life). “I am just coming from Germany. I need three or five months for make my body the same. Three or five months make me health. At the end of this week, I’m going to Germany and I’m going to fix my body. This problem, this is not about cutting weight, this is about my health. I have to make [myself] health. Three or five months, and I’m going to come back, and I think I can fight at the end of September.”

Helwani tried to get more information on what the issue exactly was. However, Nurmagomedov did not go into much detail. “The Eagle” did mention that he weighed 160-pounds and wanted to weigh in and fight Ferguson, who would be the only eligible fighter to win the interim title similar to Max Holloway vs. Anthony Pettis. Unfortunately, the doctors would not allow Khabib to fight in the condition he was in.

“[The doctors] say ‘no fight, one hundred percent, no make weight, no nothing. You need to stay hospital for seven hour, we have to make sure your body is good.’ I feel I almost died.”

Although the condition is unclear and what the causes for it were, Nurmagomedov takes full blame for the situation but promises to get it resolved and return to the Octagon.

“I know a lot of people upset about this,” he said. “A lot of fans upset about this because this is very big fight, UFC promote this fight very good, we fight promote this fight, a lot of people waiting for this fight. I know a lot of fans upset about this, and I understand this, I want to say sorry about everything, but I come back. I come back. I’m gonna come back.

“This is my fault, one hundred percent this was my fault. But we’ll see what happen next time, I’m going to come back. This is not finished, this is not finished my career. I’m going to fix my body and come back.”

on 4/3/2017.