Throughout his legendary career, ‘The Eagle’ proved to be a master of the mat, overwhelming his opponents with unrelenting pressure and world-class wrestling. His grappling was suffocating, a relentless storm that left little room for escape or counterattack. However, the former lightweight champion has improved more after retiring from the sport. Well, this is what former UFC fighter Jake Shields had to say. Shields, during his fighting days, trained at the AKA gym. 

The 46-year-old has seen ‘The Eagle’ from close quarters and has always been a fan of his skill set. However, during his conversation with Henry Cejudo on his Fight Back Podcast, he pointed out how his wrestling skills have improved after retirement. Cejudo, while speaking to Shields, said, “Talk to me a little bit about because you know obviously dude, you know your grappling is no joke cuz you bring the blend of wrestling with Jiu Jitsu, and then you create your own style of doing things. How was it like with you grappling with Khabib? He has gotten a lot better, right? Now Khabib has added folk style wrestling to his s..t. Like it’s not Dagestani. That’s folk style.” 

Shields took the opportunity to give some inside details. He further added, “He mixes Folk Style. He mixes Dagistani wrestling. He mixes Sambo. His striking got better. But no, I’d come in there and he usually sparred there’s five rounds a day. Obviously, I can’t share details of sparring, but the fact that every time he competed, he sees me, he’s like us, five rounds today.” Khabib began his journey on the mats at just eight years old, molded by the disciplined hand of his father. Over the years, he layered his wrestling foundation with Judo and Sambo, crafting a style that would eventually carry him to the pinnacle of MMA.

By the time he walked away from the sport, Khabib had etched his name into history with a flawless 29-0 record. His sudden retirement sparked endless debates and left fans wondering about the chapters left unwritten. Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen was equally surprised by the sudden announcement of the Dagestani fighter. However, he revealed the reason behind this strange decision. Let us take a look at what he had to say about it. 

Chael Sonnen feels the weight cut was the reason behind Khabib’s retirement

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s time as UFC champion was filled with triumph, but it didn’t come without sacrifices. Especially when it came to his weight cuts. Naturally large for a lightweight, Khabib often pushed his body to the brink just to make the 155-pound limit. For the most part, he succeeded, with only one official weight miss recorded back in 2013. Still, depending on who you ask, some believe that number could be higher. According to former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen, it was these grueling weight cuts that ultimately led Khabib to walk away from the sport with a perfect 29-0 record.

We all know that for Khabib, stepping away from the sport wasn’t just a professional choice—it was a deeply personal one. After the heartbreaking loss of his father, mentor, and coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, Khabib made a solemn promise to his mother. He would no longer fight without his father by his side. That vow ultimately sealed his decision to retire, marking the end of an era. But Sonnen feels a bit different. Red Corner MMA turned to their X account to post a clip originally shared by the former fighter on his YouTube channel. In the video, Sonnen said, “The only reason you didn’t get Khabib to 30-0 is you wanted to do it at 155 lbs. Khabib, GSP, and everyone else would have stuck around. All the guys you’ve ever seen retire would have done one more if you had let them go up in weight.” 

Do you think this was the real reason behind the Dagestani fighter’s retirement? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.