Zubair Tukhugov says Khabib Nurmagomedov trains twice daily and would dominate Sean Strickland with ease, predicting Khabib would take him down and finish him. Tukhugov also revealed that Artem Lobov withdrew from their planned PFL bout after seeing Tukhugov in peak physical condition at a pre-fight photoshoot, and that Lobov has since gone silent on the matchup. Tukhugov named Arman Tsarukyan as the one genuinely challenging opponent he would like to face, and confirmed he competes against Elvis Brenner on July 5 at ACB JJ in Moscow.
Zubair Tukhugov made headlines this week with a series of bold claims about Khabib Nurmagomedov, Artem Lobov, and his own ambitions, speaking out ahead of his ACB Jiu-Jitsu appearance in Moscow on July 5.
The most striking assertion from Tukhugov concerns the unretired possibility of Khabib, who carries a perfect 29-0-0 professional record and remains one of the most dominant grapplers in combat sports history. Tukhugov says the 37-year-old Russian trains twice a day and would have little trouble against current middleweight champion Sean Strickland, predicting Khabib would take him down and finish the fight without significant difficulty. Strickland, 35, holds a 31-7-0 record and is an active volume striker, averaging 6.04 significant strikes per minute with a 76-inch reach. Khabib, by contrast, built his legacy on relentless wrestling, averaging 5.32 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career.
Tukhugov also addressed a planned PFL matchup with Artem Lobov, saying the 39-year-old Irishman backed away from the bout after seeing Tukhugov's physical condition at a pre-fight photoshoot. According to Tukhugov, Lobov has since gone silent on the matchup. Lobov, who carries a 13-15-1 record, trains out of SBG Ireland and owns a career striking average of 3.52 significant strikes per minute.
On the topic of opponents he genuinely wants, Tukhugov singled out Arman Tsarukyan as the one fighter who represents a real challenge worth pursuing.
Why it matters
- Khabib's name entering any fight conversation draws immediate divisional attention, even in a hypothetical framing
- Strickland's middleweight title and high-volume striking style make him a natural contrast to Khabib's grappling-first approach
- The collapsed Lobov matchup leaves Tukhugov's immediate dance card dependent on his July 5 ACB JJ bout against Elvis Brenner
