Khabib vs Lex: Training with Khabib | FULL EXCLUSIVE FOOTAGE

Summary

This video captures Lex Fridman’s grappling training session with Khabib Nurmagomedov, one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, at the UFC Performance Institute. The footage shows Lex — a jiu-jitsu black belt — being completely overwhelmed by Khabib’s grappling pressure across multiple rounds. Despite Lex’s credentials, Khabib’s wrestling-based top pressure makes him feel, in his own words, “like a white belt.”

The video includes two full training rounds between Lex and Khabib, a brief grappling session between Khabib and former UFC champion Glover Teixeira, and candid post-training conversation. Khabib teaches Lex specific techniques between rounds, emphasizing his philosophy of using weight and pressure to make opponents expend energy rather than forcing submissions. The session also features Khabib’s training philosophy: he describes going 1.5 hours nonstop in practice, cycling through four or five opponents, driven by a mental resilience where he questions how anyone could make him tired. The video ends with others comparing training with Khabib to “shooting hoops with Michael Jordan at the YMCA.”

Highlights

”This pressure is insane”

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“This right here, this pressure is fucking insane… I feel like a white belt.” — Lex Fridman, 4:59

”I don’t need to do nothing — I make you work”

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“I don’t need to do nothing. You have to spend your energy to get up. Why I have to force? I make you work.” — Khabib Nurmagomedov, 13:53

”Now I understand why people run”

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“Now I understand why people run.” — Lex Fridman, 14:35

”Mentally smash”

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“I want him to feel pressure. Because I play, he play. Yeah, I can play with anybody, anytime, but I want to show him a little bit, like pressure, you understand. Scramble after scramble, and I put him in my position… Mentally smash.” — Khabib Nurmagomedov, 18:06

”Keep going — all my life”

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“Keep going. All my life, keep going, keep going… You know Dan Gable? He always said in practice he wanted to go until he quits. He never got there. That’s why he’s Olympic champion.” — Khabib Nurmagomedov & Lex Fridman, 19:46

”It’s like one-on-one with Michael Jordan at the YMCA”

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“It’s like one-on-one with Michael Jordan in the YMCA.” — Lex Fridman, 21:48

Key Points

• GSP’s advice (0:15) - Before training, Lex texted Georges St-Pierre for advice; GSP said “If you die, you die”
• Black belt humbled (6:29) - Despite being a jiu-jitsu black belt, Lex says he feels like a white belt against Khabib
• Sambo ranking system (6:44) - Khabib explains sambo has levels rather than belts, and he’s a Master of Sports (International)
• Five-round session (8:09) - Khabib insists on five rounds when others suggest stopping at one
• No injuries philosophy (8:41) - Khabib emphasizes keeping training safe: “No injuries, just heavy”
• Glover Teixeira session (9:12) - Former UFC champion Glover also trains with Khabib between Lex’s rounds
• Khabib’s pressure technique (13:13) - Teaches hooking and pulling techniques, emphasizing positional control over submissions
• Energy conservation philosophy (13:53) - Khabib’s approach: don’t expend energy forcing anything; make your opponent work
• Training endurance (19:30) - Khabib describes going 1.5 hours nonstop, cycling through 4-5 opponents
• Mental fortitude (19:52) - Khabib’s mental approach: “How can somebody make me tired?”
• Dan Gable comparison (20:06) - Lex draws parallel to wrestling legend Dan Gable who wanted to practice until he quit, but never did
• Dubai training camp (20:20) - Khabib maintains a camp with 25 elite fighters, training morning and night
• Khabib still loves training (20:48) - Years after retirement, Khabib says his body still feels great and he loves training
• 280 pounds of pressure (21:41) - Glover says Khabib feels like 280 pounds despite being much lighter
• Nobody has passed his guard (19:20) - Ali says in 12 years he has never seen anyone pass Khabib’s guard or tap him

Mentions

People

• Khabib Nurmagomedov (0:00) - Undefeated UFC lightweight champion, primary training partner
• Georges St-Pierre (GSP) (0:15) - Former UFC champion whom Lex texted for advice
• Glover Teixeira (9:12) - Former UFC light heavyweight champion who also trains with Khabib
• Ali Abdelaziz (0:51) - MMA manager present during training, providing commentary
• Islam Makhachev (0:49) - Current UFC lightweight champion, briefly heard at start
• Dan Gable (20:06) - Olympic wrestling champion referenced for his practice mentality
• Michael Jordan (21:48) - Referenced as comparison for what it’s like training with Khabib
• John Smith (7:43) - Wrestling legend, briefly mentioned during training

Organizations

• UFC Performance Institute (0:29) - Location where the training takes place
• Dominance MMA (0:51) - Ali Abdelaziz’s management company

Products

• LMNT (8:47) - Zero-sugar electrolyte drink, video sponsor

Surprising Quotes

“If you die, you die.” — Georges St-Pierre’s advice to Lex before training, 0:24

“I feel like a white belt.” — Lex Fridman (a jiu-jitsu black belt), 6:29

“Brother, I learned 12 years. This is true. I have never seen anyone pass his guard or tap him.” — Ali Abdelaziz on Khabib, 19:21

“Mentally, how can somebody make me tired?” — Khabib Nurmagomedov on his mindset, 19:52

“Oh, he feel like 280 pound.” — Glover Teixeira on Khabib’s pressure, 21:41

Transcript

0:00 [Lex] All right. One of the greatest fighters of all time. Great human being. It’s unbelievable that I have the honor. I trained, I feel a bit beat up. I actually before this texted Georges, GSP, asking if he has any advice at all. He said, “If you die, you die.” Thank you very much, I love you, brother. You can tell on these mats, a champion has been here. You can feel the history. I’m gonna do a podcast with you tomorrow, so this is epic. I’m the luckiest guy in the world. So I know — let’s go.

0:45 [Khabib] Yes yes, how are you my friend? [Islam] Ready? [Lex] Ready! [Ali] It’s my brother Khabib, he’s my friend. [Lex] How are you doing, brother? [Speaker] I was like, is that Lex Fridman? Nice to meet you. [Lex] Thank you. [Ali] Tomorrow training with him. [Khabib] I wish he’s in. [Ali] Tomorrow in the morning, same energy. [Lex] Always got a smile.

1:18 [UFC Embedded] You got some of the greatest of all time — Alex, Khabib, Amanda… [Khabib] Brother, talking is gonna win. He touched wrong leg. [Lex] What to touch, which leg? I need to touch. Help me! Cheating. [Ali] He tried to run like nothing. I hope his legs… [Lex] This is not gonna end well.

2:51 [Lex] He is heavy. [Khabib] Let’s go, Lex! [Speaker] Don’t tap, Lex! Hold on, bud! [Lex] This shit is heavy, I can’t do anything! This right here, this pressure is fucking insane. [Khabib] Let me make him…

6:20 [Lex in Russian] Do I have anything here or not? [Lex] I feel like a white belt. [Ali] What’s your belt, brother? [Lex] Yeah, black belt. [Speaker] Jiu jitsu or sambo? [Lex] Jiu jitsu. Good point, good point. [Speaker to Khabib] What’s your belt? [Khabib in Russian] I’m a Master of Sports (International). [Speaker] Does Sambo have no belts? [Khabib] They have, they have, levels. They have levels, not belts. [Lex] And you get them for competing. I can’t do shit.

7:03 [Ali] I don’t know, he is going to make you suffer. You drown, you drown. You’re gonna be stressed. [Lex] John Smith. [Khabib] Let’s go, Lex!

8:04 [Ali] First round, first round. [Khabib] No, we’ll go five. [Speaker] Five minutes? [Khabib] Yes. [Lex] We’ll be getting one more. [Khabib] Next time I’m gonna make you work. How are you feeling? Good? [Lex] I shouldn’t have gone with him first. [Khabib] It’s not about this. I’m heavy first of all. [Lex] Amazing training partner. [Khabib] No, no, but no injuries, no injuries. [Lex] No injuries. [Khabib] But the heavy. [Lex] Just heavy. [Khabib] Stay heavy, stay heavy.

8:47 [Lex] A quick shout out to LMNT. Thank you for supporting this video. LMNT is my go-to zero sugar electrolyte. I bring these LMNT packets everywhere. It helps me replenish electrolytes. Check them out in the description. drinklmnt.com/lex. All right.

9:12 [Glover] Can you give me a lesson? [Khabib] I’m here. [Glover] Alright. [Khabib] Try. Try. [Glover] I try! [Khabib] It’s OK, go! [Ali] Okay, guys, finish, finish. [Speaker] Keep going, keep going. [Glover] Amazing! Thank you. [Khabib] Thank you. Lex, we go again.

10:02 [UFC Embedded] He’s got to! Let’s spar the champ. [Lex] “Wrong leg.” “Wrong leg.” [Ali] Now beginning at this club, okay?

11:47 [Khabib] Let’s go. Let’s go, Lex. Let’s go, Lex! Now you understand? [Lex] Yeah. [Khabib] Squeeze with legs. Now, for example, you move. Move. [Khabib in Russian] Give me your hand. [Lex] It’s all this. [Khabib] Yeah. [Lex] Nothing here. [Khabib] Understand?

12:39 [Khabib] Let’s go, brother. Let’s go, Lex.

13:13 [Khabib] This in… I hook… No, don’t pull, look here. And I pull. Boom. [Lex] And you just pull that. [Khabib] Or this one. But this one is better. But sometimes when I want to put… [Lex] Yeah, yeah, yeah…

13:53 [Khabib] Just stay here. [Lex] Just stay. [Khabib] I don’t need to do nothing. You have to spend your energy to get up. Why I have to force? Do you understand? I make you work. I’ll make you work!

14:35 [Lex] Now I understand why people run.

16:09 [Khabib] Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go. Move, move, move, Magdi. Magdi, move! [Ali to Magdi] You grapple like it’s a wrestling match. This is not grappling.

16:43 [Speaker] Oh, no. Khabib look, look. [Khabib] Be careful, be careful. Hey. Be careful.

17:08 [Lex] It’s so much pressure. Shit… You can’t tell, he’s singing too. [Khabib] Hip, hip, hip. Do you understand me? Hip. Push, push.

18:02 [Lex] I mean you asked for viewers! [Lex] Thank you, brother. [Khabib] Thank you so much. You know, I want him to feel pressure. Because I play, he play. Yeah, I can play with anybody, anytime, but I go. I want to show him a little bit, like pressure, you understand. Scramble after scramble, and I put him in my position.

18:30 [Ali] But you know what’s interesting? Many guys stop. You keep going. [Khabib] Good, it’s good, brother. [Ali] You’re my brother. [Lex] It’s an honor, man. [Khabib] But, he feel, he feel. [Lex] I feel it psychologically too. [Khabib] Yeah. [Ali] All my life, I feel psychologically, like I want to give up. He don’t give you a tap. He don’t tap you. Sometimes you tap, it’s reset, start. [Khabib] Mentally smash. Mentally smash.

18:57 [Lex] Has anyone ever done that to you? [Khabib] With me, no. [Lex] Maybe when you were… [Khabib] You know, since when I was 18, 19, I was always the one against everyone. Because in my gym, I have… this is who I grew up with for the ground game. [Ali] Brother, I learned 12 years. This is true. I have never seen anyone pass his guard or tap him.

19:26 [Khabib] Sometimes. I just come, change clothes. Sometimes we’ll go 1.5 hour nonstop. One 20 minutes, one 10, one hour, one and a half — maybe changing four or five opponents. 10-15 minutes each. [Lex] You keep going. [Khabib] I keep going. I used to play too long. Long.

19:50 [Lex] And what happens to you mentally? [Khabib] Mentally, how can somebody make me tired? [Lex] I see you wanting to go on and… [Khabib] Keep going. All my life, keep going, keep going.

20:06 [Lex] You know Dan Gable, wrestler? [Khabib] Yeah. Olympic champion. [Lex] Yeah! He always said in practice he wanted to go until he quits. He never got there. [Khabib] That’s why he’s Olympic champion.

20:20 [Khabib] I just come back from training camp. I have training camp in Dubai. I have 25 people, they know. Every day I go, morning and night, and all the champions. Big, big names. [Lex] How do you feel? [Khabib] I love it. My body is very good. My body feel very good. Sometime when I travel for one week, I feel so bad, because there is no sparring partner. [Lex] I could tell you still love it. [Khabib] I love it. [Lex] I can feel it. [Khabib] No no no no, I love it.

20:55 [Khabib] Be careful, be careful with this. [Khabib in Russian] You’re giving that away every single time. Be careful, hey.

21:02 [Camera guy] A lot of pressure? [Lex] You know, it’s a lot of pressure. [Magdi] I’ll just say one thing. This witness, this witness, when I go with him, he don’t let me get up. I’m all the time in this position. [Glover] It’s no way out. [Ali] He is not small guy anymore. [Glover] Oh, he feel like 280 pound.

21:44 [Lex] It’s incredible, man. [UFC Embedded] That’s like shooting around on… [Lex] It’s shooting with Michael Jordan, yeah. It’s like one-on-one with Michael Jordan in the YMCA. [Khabib] Thank you brother, thank you. Good job. Tomorrow. We work tomorrow. Yeah, we’ll go together, right? [Lex] Yeah.