Overview
- Khabib told the Smol Talk podcast in mid-July 2026 that his wrestling and submission work are stronger now than during his 2018–2020 title run.
- He said he keeps a heavy training load, reporting roughly 170 to 180 minutes of live grappling in a recent week and estimating about 100 minutes per week over the year.
- Nurmagomedov remains officially retired and continues to coach fighters including Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov while training regularly himself.
- He also claimed this week that he still has a contract with the UFC that he says is exclusive and would prevent him from competing for other promotions.
- Khabib retired undefeated after UFC 254 in 2020 following his father’s death, and his latest comments underline his ongoing influence in MMA and raise questions about fighter mobility and long-term exclusivity deals.