Khabib Nurmagomedov won't return even for grappling, teammate says

Khabib Nurmagomedov trains like an active fighter but has no plans to compete again in any form, according to teammate Zubaira Tukhugov.

Tukhugov, who faces Elves Brenner in a no-gi grappling match at ACBJJ 21 this weekend in Moscow, told Red Corner MMA that Nurmagomedov has been pushing him to retire rather than return to competition. "He laughed and was like, 'Why do you need this?' Leave the sport and just train for yourself," Tukhugov said, per Sherdog. "He's been persuading me to retire for a long time."

Nurmagomedov's daily training routine continues

Despite stepping away from MMA in 2020 as the undefeated UFC lightweight champion, Nurmagomedov maintains a rigorous schedule. Tukhugov said the 29-0 Hall of Famer trains twice a day no matter where he is or what else is happening. "He keeps training hard as if he's getting ready for something. He is ready to grapple anyone right now, or even fight," Tukhugov told the outlet.

Tukhugov put the odds of a Nurmagomedov comeback at roughly one percent. He cited past conversations with the retired champion, noting that when Nurmagomedov commits to something verbally, he follows through nearly every time. The teammate added that Nurmagomedov would handle current UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland easily if the two fought today.

Dana White made multiple attempts to bring Nurmagomedov back to the octagon after his 2020 retirement, but the lightweight walked away for good. Tukhugov's grappling match with Brenner takes place Sunday in the Russian capital.

Reported via:

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