Zubaira Tukhugov says Khabib Nurmagomedov, who trains twice daily, would have no trouble with Sean Strickland, predicting he would take him down and finish him. Tukhugov also revealed that Artem Lobov has gone silent — not responding to messages from promotions or fighters — and appears to have lost interest in a potential fight. He identified Arman Tsarukyan as his most meaningful potential grappling challenge. Tukhugov is scheduled to compete in a grappling match against Elvis Brener on July 5 at ACB JJ in Moscow.
Zubaira Tukhugov made several notable claims in a recent interview, offering his assessments of Khabib Nurmagomedov's hypothetical matchup with Sean Strickland, the status of a potential Artem Lobov bout, and his own upcoming grappling competition.
On the subject of his longtime teammate Khabib, Tukhugov expressed full confidence that the retired Russian legend would have no difficulty with the current middleweight champion. Khabib, 37, retired with a perfect 29-0 record and remains one of the most dominant grapplers in MMA history, averaging an extraordinary 5.32 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career. Tukhugov stated that Khabib, who continues to train twice daily, would take Strickland down and finish the fight.
Strickland, 35, holds the middleweight title with a record of 31-7. The American fighter out of Xtreme Couture is a high-volume striker, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute with a 76-inch reach, but his grappling defense would face an obvious test against the kind of pressure Tukhugov described.
Regarding Artem Lobov, Tukhugov revealed that the 39-year-old Irish-based fighter, who carries a 13-15-1 record, has gone completely silent, failing to respond to messages from promotions and other fighters. Tukhugov's comments suggest any potential matchup with Lobov has effectively stalled due to the fighter's apparent disengagement.
Tukhugov also named Arman Tsarukyan as the grappling challenge he finds most meaningful among potential opponents. He is set to compete in a grappling match against Elvis Brener on July 5 at ACB JJ in Moscow.
Why it matters
- Khabib's name continues to generate significant attention despite his retirement, and commentary from within his inner circle keeps speculation alive
- Lobov's silence creates uncertainty around any promotional efforts to book him, potentially shelving that matchup indefinitely
- Tsarukyan being flagged as a meaningful grappling test reflects how seriously Tukhugov views the lightweight contender's ground game
