Teammate believes Khabib Nurmagomedov won’t even compete in grappling again

Zubaira Tukhugov is set to face Elves Brenner in a no-gi grappling match at ACBJJ 21 this weekend in Moscow. Ahead of the bout, Tukhugov revealed that his teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov has been discouraging him from competing, instead urging him to retire and train only for personal fitness.

"He laughed and was like, 'Why do you need this?'" Tukhugov told Red Corner MMA. "Leave the sport and just train for yourself. He's been persuading me to retire for a long time."

Nurmagomedov retired as an undefeated, undisputed UFC lightweight champion in 2020 and has resisted all attempts by Dana White to lure him back. Despite those overtures, the Dagestan fighter has remained steadfast. According to Tukhugov, Nurmagomedov trains twice daily with the intensity of an active competitor and would be capable of defeating nearly anyone in grappling or combat sports today. Yet Tukhugov is virtually certain his legendary teammate will never compete again. "Based on our conversations, if he says something, he follows through on it 99% of the time," Tukhugov said. "I'm 99% sure he won't ever compete again."

Tukhugov added that Nurmagomedov's training regimen suggests he prepares as if fighting were imminent, though his retirement appears final. The fighter even claimed Nurmagomedov would handily beat current UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland in a hypothetical matchup.