Overview
- A clip from a months-old Prince St. Pizza interview circulated on social platforms on May 20–21, 2026 in which Dana White said Khabib toured Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar and made so much money that he didn’t need to keep fighting.
- Khabib replied publicly on May 20 by calling White’s account “an absolute lie,” swearing by Allah that “nobody ever gave me those millions” and rejecting the idea that pay drove his decision to retire.
- As of the latest coverage, Dana White has not issued a direct public rebuttal to Khabib’s May 2026 response and the resurfaced clip continues to be shared and reported by sports outlets.
- Khabib originally retired after UFC 254 in October 2020, citing the death of his father Abdulmanap and a promise to his mother, and he has since stayed retired while working as a coach, notably for Islam Makhachev.
- Reporting recalls prior large comeback offers — including a $40 million figure cited by Daniel Cormier — and highlights how social amplification of an older interview has reopened debate over motives and the reputations of both Khabib and UFC leadership.