Zubaira Tukhugov has given his assessment of Khabib Nurmagomedov's current form, stating that Khabib trains twice a day and is ready to compete with any fighter, though he is 99% certain Khabib will never return. Tukhugov said Khabib would not even feel Sean Strickland and would take him down and finish him. On his own career, Tukhugov said Arman Tsarukyan would be a worthy challenge, while he believes he would handle Alexander Volkanovski at his best. He also confirmed that Artem Lobov withdrew from their planned PFL fight after seeing Tukhugov in excellent shape at a pre-fight photoshoot, and noted that Lobov is no longer responding to anyone about a potential matchup. Tukhugov is scheduled to compete against Elvis Brener at an ACB JJ tournament in Moscow on July 5.
Zubaira Tukhugov has weighed in on a hypothetical return for retired legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, offering a blunt assessment of how the undefeated champion would handle current middleweight titleholder Sean Strickland.
Tukhugov, a teammate and training partner of Khabib, said the 37-year-old Russian still trains twice a day and remains physically capable of competing with any fighter on the planet. Despite that, Tukhugov acknowledged he is 99 percent certain Khabib will never actually return to competition. As for the hypothetical matchup with Strickland, Tukhugov was dismissive, saying Khabib would not even feel the middleweight champion and would simply take him down and begin finishing him.
Khabib retired with a perfect 29-0 record and built his legacy on suffocating grappling, averaging 5.32 takedowns per 15 minutes with a striking accuracy of 48 percent. Strickland, who holds the middleweight title at 31-7, is one of the sport's most active strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute, though his takedown defense would face an obvious test against a wrestler of Khabib's caliber. The American stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and fights out of Xtreme Couture.
Tukhugov also addressed his own career ambitions in the interview, naming Arman Tsarukyan as a fight that would represent a genuine challenge while expressing confidence he would handle Alexander Volkanovski even at Volkanovski's best. On a separate matter, Tukhugov confirmed that Artem Lobov pulled out of a planned PFL matchup between the two after seeing Tukhugov in strong physical condition at a pre-fight photoshoot. Lobov, who carries a 13-15-1 record and fights out of SBG Ireland, is reportedly no longer responding to anyone regarding a potential rescheduled bout.
Tukhugov is set to compete against Elvis Brener at an ACB Jiu-Jitsu tournament in Moscow on July 5.
