According to UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad, lightweight legend Khabib Nurmagomedov has not lost a step.
Muhammad was crowned kingpin at 170 pounds courtesy of a dominant upset victory over Leon Edwards at the UFC 304 pay-per-view event in Manchester, England, late last month.
Having achieved his title dreams on mixed martial arts' biggest stage, "Remember the Name" had plenty of thanks to pass around to those who helped him reach the position he now finds himself in.
Among them is Khabib Nurmagomedov and the members of his team.
Prior to his knockout victory over Sean Brady in 2022, Muhammad sought the help of the former UFC lightweight champion and even had his guidance from the corner on fight night.
Be it in person or over the phone, Muhammad has had a similar helping hand from "The Eagle" ever since. With that in mind, the welterweight champ is uniquely placed to describe the condition Khabib is in when it comes to hands-on training.
And according to him, Khabib — who retired with a 29-0 record following his successful title defense against Justin Gaethje in 2020 — is still a step above the rest...
During a recent appearance on ex-UFC athlete Brendan Schaub and Bryan Callen's The Fighter and The Kid podcast, Muhammad further described the work he's been putting in with Khabib and some of the big names on the Nurmagomedov team.
"Remember the Name" admitted he was regularly schooled on the mats, including by the retired lightweight legend himself. And when it comes to Khabib's continued mixed martial arts capabilities, Muhammad says he'd back "The Eagle" to capture gold again at any weight.
There's not a weak person in that group. Every single one of the people is beating me up," Muhammad said. "Khabib's freakin' playing with me, throwing me around. I'm just like, 'Man, I'm fighting for the world title and this guy's just toying with me.'
Literally, when I was in New Jersey I was like, 'Bro, I'm getting killed by him,'" Muhammad continued. "Khabib's still — literally he could come back and be a champion right now in any division he wants to. ... It's literally unbelievable.
Unfortunately for fans hoping to see those claims tested inside the cage, Khabib has remained firm on his refusal to entertain a comeback since hanging up his gloves.
While he was initially a regular fixture in the camps and corners for the likes of Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov, "The Eagle" took an extended break from traveling in 2023.
Recent months have seen his return to that realm, however, with Khabib first cornering Makhachev against Dustin Poirier this past June and more recently calling the shots for his cousin Umar's victory over Cory Sandhagen earlier this month.
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