Khabib Nurmagomedov admits disappointment when rewatching his UFC fights: ‘Much better now’

Khabib Nurmagomedov believes he’s a much better grappler now than he was when he retired.

Nurmagomedov could have his issues with the UFC, but he still achieved incredible things during his undefeated run within the promotion.

‘The Eagle’ is one in all the few fighters within the history of the game who went out on top, having retired while still holding the lightweight title.

With him still being surrounded by elite fighters, Nurmagomedov has said he can still compete with the perfect in his gym, but recently went one step further by saying that he’s only improved since stepping away.

Has Islam Makhachev’s UFC run surpassed Khabib Nurmagomedov’s?

Which do you rate higher? Undefeated or two-weight? Tell us within the comments.

Khabib Nurmagomedov highlights his own mistakes when watching fights back resulting from improving since retirement

In 2020, Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Justin Gaethje and announced his decision to retire only one month after he turned 32 years old.

The passing of his father and coach meant that we likely missed the most effective years of one in all the best fighters in MMA history.

Nurmagomedov spoke about this in a recent interview, where he shared about a number of the frustrations he feels when watching old fights back.

“I had barely begun. Perhaps that was only the beginning of my prime,” he said on Smol Talk. “My grappling is significantly better now. In the summertime of 2026, my grappling is best than it was in 2020. After I rewatch my fights, I feel, ‘How could I make that mistake?’ Viewers on the time watched from one other angle and thought, ‘Wow, what a level’. But, in my view, it wasn’t such a high level.

“After I analyze those fights myself, I see all of the errors. My grappling is much better now.

Nurmagomedov puts this right down to the undeniable fact that except for recovering from some small injuries, he has continued to grapple on a consistent basis for the six years that he’s been retired.

Khabib Nurmagomedov reveals how much he trains despite being retired

Khabib Nurmagomedov believes that continuing to coach has resulted in his grappling improving, arguing that his “execution is best” moderately than simply him with the ability to spot mistakes higher.

‘The Eagle’ was capable of recall several instances which have stopped him from being on the mats, but says that none of them have ever lasted longer than just a few weeks.

“Last week alone, not counting this week, I did around 170 or 180 minutes of live grappling over the week, and that doesn’t include some other training,” he said.