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Khabib Nurmagomedov says he’d support Joe Rogan’s major rule change if he ran the UFC

Originally posted on HITC | By Jamie Theodosi | Last updated Jul 22, 2025 4:00 PM ET

Khabib Nurmagomedov has shared what he would do differently if he took over Dana White’s job for a day.

When someone like Khabib speaks, everyone in the fight world should pay attention. The Dagestani is considered by many fans to be the MMA GOAT – not just for what he did inside the Octagon, but outside of it as well.

After hanging up his gloves in 2020 following his win over Justin Gaethje, he shifted his focus to coaching, picking up where his late father left off.

These days, ‘The Eagle’ is among the top coaches in MMA, helping fighters like Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov reach new heights within the UFC.

What Khabib Nurmagomedov would change if he was UFC boss for a day?

Khabib’s retirement didn’t keep him far from the UFC. He maintained a good relationship with Dana White over the years.

He’s spoken before about how he still chats with the promotion CEO now and then, often sharing his thoughts on what could be improved within the organisation.

And speaking to Adam Zubayraev on the Hustle Show, Khabib explained exactly what he’d do if given control for 24 hours.

“I’d change the rules,” Khabib said. “Like, you step into the Octagon – regular fights are 15 minutes, title fights are 25, right? I’d say no rounds. No rounds at all. I always wondered – what’s the point of rounds? What’s the point of it all? It’s for entertainment, they pause for ads and all of that.”

“I get it – it’s for business. But if we’re talking sport, I’d get rid of rounds, no rounds at all. They just step in – that’s it. There should be rules, no strikes to the back of the head, no groin strikes…that sort of thing yeah but I’d still get rid of rounds.”

Joe Rogan made a similar claim about a UFC rule change in the past

Over the years, UFC commentator Joe Rogan has floated some unusual ideas for changing the sport’s rules, including one that involved swapping out the cage for a basketball court.

But he did once suggest a change more in line with Khabib’s thinking: starting each new round where the previous one ended. It was an idea meant to benefit fighters who rely heavily on grappling.

Royce Gracie later convinced Rogan that eliminating rounds altogether made more sense, which lines up with what Khabib would like to see happen in the UFC.

While it might sound odd at first, there have been other formats over the years that have tried similar approaches.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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