Khabib Nurmagomedov claims he has only just hit his wrestling peak
Former UFC Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov recently claimed that he has only just reached his wrestling peak, years after his retirement from the octagon. Speaking to Smol Talk, Khabib discussed his current training regime and where his combat sports career is now (translated):
“People think my prime was between 2018 and 2020, but I wasn’t in my prime back then. I turned 32 in September 2020, and I retired in October. So I hadn’t even really begun yet. My grappling has improved tremendously since then. In 2026, it’s much better than it was in 2020.
“I watch my old fights now and think, ‘How could I have made that mistake here?’ Meanwhile, people watching from the outside say, ‘Wow, what a level.’ But to me, that’s not the level. My grappling is far better now. And the guys who trained with me in both 2020 and 2026 say the same thing.”
credit to BJPenn.com for the transcription and translation
Could Khabib Nurmagomedov come out of retirement?
The UFC have apparently tried a few times to bring Khabib Nurmagomedov out of retirement and back into MMA. Although Khabib clearly has no interest in getting back in to the octagon, something like Real American Freestyle could absolutely be something to consider (if they can afford him, of course).
Khabib last fought in the UFC on October 24, 2020, at UFC 254 in Abu Dhabi. He defeated Justin Gaethje via a second-round technical submission and swiftly retired due to the death of his father.
Jake is the Head of Audience at F4WOnline, having previously worked as a Combat Sports, Gaming and Pro Wrestling writer, successful Editor in Chief and Sports Coordinator for NationalWorld. He has more than ten years of experience covering mixed martial arts, pro wrestling, football and gaming across a number of publications, starting at SEScoops in 2012. His work has also been featured on Wrestling Headlines, Wrestlingnewsco, HotNewHipHop and The Hard Times.
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