During a sit-down on the Hustle Show, retired UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov made it clear what he’d do if he ran the UFC — scrap rounds completely.
“I’d change the rules. No rounds at all. Just step into the Octagon – regular fight, 15 minutes, title fight 25. No rounds at all.”
It’s not the first time this idea’s been floated. UFC commentator and podcast mainstay Joe Rogan has pitched the same concept in the past. Among his wilder suggestions — removing the cage and replacing it with a basketball court — the no-rounds format was one of the few taken seriously, especially after Royce Gracie got in his ear. Gracie pushed the idea that the ebb and flow of real combat shouldn’t be interrupted by an arbitrary break every five minutes.
The format isn’t unprecedented. PRIDE famously used a 10-minute first round followed by a 5-minute second. Earlier Vale Tudo matches ran without rounds at all.
When pressed on why, Khabib questioned the point of breaks during matches.
“I always wondered – what’s the point of rounds?”
He acknowledged the business angle.
“It’s for entertainment. They pause for ads and all that. I get it – it’s for business. But if we’re talking sport, I’d get rid of rounds.”
The argument tracks with his entire style. Khabib made a career out of suffocating pace, constant pressure and zero let-up. Rounds gave opponents time to breathe — something he was never interested in.
No rounds would’ve played right into his hands.
His take shines a light on the built-in tension between MMA as sport and MMA as product. Yes, rounds give athletes a chance to reset. Yes, corners can give advice. But are those breaks for the MMA stars or for the camera crews?
Khabib doesn’t think the reset button belongs in real competition.
And while the current regulatory structure and broadcast setup make this kind of overhaul unlikely, the fact that Khabib’s on board with Rogan’s idea is a reminder — not everyone is thrilled with the way the sport is packaged for viewers. There’s still a conversation to be had about what MMA should look like if sport, not spectacle, was the priority.
