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Tag: Gadzhi Rabadanov

  • Gadzhi Rabadanov Takes Decision Win Over Alex Chizov

    Gadzhi Rabadanov Takes Decision Win Over Alex Chizov

    Gadzhi Rabadanov hopes PFL Sioux Falls started a new long win streak for him, as he defeated Alex Chizov in the evening’s co-main event.

    Rabadanov controlled most of the action during round one, scoring a pair of takedown attempts. Chizov almost made him pay for one to start the second round; however, thanks to his guillotine attempt.

    Chizov managed to work his jab well in the second round, but Rabadanov’s strikes swelled up one of his eyes, and Rabadanov still maintained the grappling advantage.

    Gadzhi Rabadanov Earns Decision Over Alex Chizov In PFL Sioux Falls Co-Main

    Chizov picked up the pace in the third round, landing a knee and holding off most of Rabadanov’s grappling attempts.

    This was Rabadanov’s first fight since losing the 2025 PFL Lightweight World Tournament final to Alfie Davis. That loss marked the end of a 12-fight win streak for Rabadanov, who was the lightweight champion of the PFL’s 2024 season.

    This was Chizov’s first fight since running through Mark Ewen, Claudio Pacella, and Connor Hughes last year to capture the 2025 PFL Europe lightweight title.

  • “The Best Lightweight In PFL” – Fans React To Alfie Davis Pulling Off Massive Upset To Defeat Gadzhi Rabadanov And Claim Lightweight PFL World Tournament Title

    “The Best Lightweight In PFL” – Fans React To Alfie Davis Pulling Off Massive Upset To Defeat Gadzhi Rabadanov And Claim Lightweight PFL World Tournament Title

    Gadzhi Rabadanov’s desires for a second straight PFL lightweight title are for naught. Alfie Davis put on an excellent striking performance to outlast Rabadanov’s grappling-heavy efforts to claim the 2025 PFL World Tournament lightweight title in the main event of the PFL’s card in Charlotte, North Carolina.

    The fight opened with a tactical first round, with Davis working kicks from range as Rabadanov tried to pressure. Raabdanov was trying to overwhelm Davis with his takedown attempts and grappling, but Davis executed well on his high kicks and body shots.

    Rabadanov took control in the second round, scoring an early takedown and imposing his will from the top position. He stayed on top for most of the frame, landing body shots and advancing through half guard. Davis rebounded with a dynamic striking effort in the third round, working combinations and scoring in the exchanges, in particular landing kicks and sharp elbows.

    Rabadanov repeated his second-round performance in round four, but Davis’ sharp striking and tagging of Rabadanov helped him secure the fifth round, resulting in all three judges awarding 48-47 scores and the PFL tournament title to Davis.

    Alfie Davis Claims 2025 PFL Lightweight World Tournament Title With Decision Over Gadzhi Rabadanov

    Rabadanov reached his second straight PFL lightweight final thanks to finishes of Marc Diakiese and Kevin Lee.

    Davis’ final spot was secured thanks to victories over Clay Collard and Brent Primus.

  • PFL World Tournament Week 9 Results & Highlights

    PFL World Tournament Week 9 Results & Highlights

    The second of three events to mark the conclusion of the PFL’s 2025 World Tournaments goes down in Charlotte, North Carolina tonight — and MMA News has you covered with all the action.

    The World Tournament is the spiritual successor to the season-and-the-playoffs has had since its inaugural season in 2018. As part of the changes in format to the PFL upon the official folding of the Bellator brand earlier this year, the PFL changed its global season to a single-elimination tournament format, adding more weight classes, eight fighters per weight class.

    First-round action took place in April and May, with June — previously hosting the second leg of the regular season — hosting semifinal action. This month will see the conclusion of these tournaments, with eight winners receiving PFL World Tournament title belts and $100,000.

    This evening will be headlined by the lightweight tournament final between defending champion Gadzhi Rabadanov and Alfie Davis. Rabadanov, who defeated Brent Primus to claim the 2024 lightweight title, looks to become just one of a handful of PFL fighters to become a back-to-back tournament champion, let alone a two-time PFL tournament champion. Rabadanov made it to the finals with a pair of first-round finishes against Marc Diakiese and Kevin Lee. Davis, meanwhile, advanced here with a first-round knockout of Clay Collard and a decision win over Primus.

    The co-main event will be the women’s flyweight tournament final between Liz Carmouche and Jena Bishop. Carmouche, the former Bellator women’s flyweight champion, reached the finals through an 85-second finish of Ilara Joanne and a decision over Elora Dana. Bishop reached with a unanimous decision over Kana Watanabe and a second-round submission of Ekaterina Shakalova.

    Also featured will be the bantamweight tournament final featuring Marcirley Alves and Justin Wetzell. Alves made it to the final through decision wins over Leandro Higo and Jake Hadley. Wetzell scored decision wins over Kasum Kasumov and Mando Gutierrez.

    2025 PFL World Tournament Week 9 Results & Highlights

    Main Card:

    • Lightweight Final: Alfie Davis def. Gadzhi Rabadanov via unanimous decision (48-47 x3)
    • Women’s Flyweight Final: Liz Carmouche def. Jena Bishop via KO (R3, 2:56)
    • Bantamweight Final: Marcirley Alves def. Justin Wetzell via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47 x2)
    • Lightweight: Robert Watley def. Mads Burnell via TKO (R3, 2:43)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Women’s Flyweight: Juliana Velasquez def. Ekaterina Shakalova via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
    • Lightweight: Biaggio Ali Walsh def. Adryan Grundy via TKO (R3, 3:23)
    • Women’s Flyweight: Sabrinna de Sousa def. Saray Orozco via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
    • Bantamweight: Renat Khavalov def. Vilson Ndregjoni via TKO (R1, 2:49)
    • Welterweight: Chris Mixan def. Kendly St. Louis via TKO (R1, 4:36)
    • Featherweight: Damian Nelson def. Isaiah Diggs via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

    Damian Nelson vs. Isaiah Diggs

    Kendly St. Louis vs. Chris Mixan

    Renat Khavalov vs. Vilson Ndregjoni

    Sabrinna de Sousa vs. Saray Orozco

    Biaggio Ali Walsh vs. Adryan Grundy

    Juliana Velasquez vs. Ekaterina Shakalova

    Mads Burnell vs. Robert Watley

    Marcirley Alves vs. Justin Wetzell

    Liz Carmouche vs. Jena Bishop

    Gadzhi Rabadanov vs. Alfie Davis

  • ‘Kevin Lee Is Beyond Washed’ – Fans React To Gadzhi Rabadanov Putting Away Kevin Lee In Quick Fashion At PFL Wichita To Reach PFL World Tournament Finals

    ‘Kevin Lee Is Beyond Washed’ – Fans React To Gadzhi Rabadanov Putting Away Kevin Lee In Quick Fashion At PFL Wichita To Reach PFL World Tournament Finals

    Gadzhi Rabadanov is now one win away from back-to-back tournament titles with the PFL after defeating Kevin Lee in the semifinals of the lightweight PFL Tournament in the main event of PFL Wichita.

    Rabadanov dropped Lee early with a stiff jab, and from there, he didn’t let up. Rabadanov rocked Lee multiple times with his strikes, scoring another knockdown during the round.

    Lee tried to stay in it, but a relentless barrage eventually resulted in a faceplant knockdown, forcing the ref to wave it off.

    Gadzhi Rabadanov Reaches PFL World Tournament Final, KOs Kevin Lee At PFL Wichita

    Last year, Rabadanov ran through Solomon Renfro, Elvin Espinoza, Michael Dufort and Brent Primus to capture the 2024 PFL lightweight championship. He earned tonight’s semifinal spot with a first-round finish of Marc Diakiese in April.

    Lee made his PFL debut tonight, replacing an injured Jay-Jay Wilson. Lee had made his return to MMA after more than a year away this past September, scoring a first-round finish of Thiago Oliveira at Lights Out Championship 17.

  • PFL Lightweight World Tournament Lineup Includes Former Champions And Ex-UFC Contender

    PFL Lightweight World Tournament Lineup Includes Former Champions And Ex-UFC Contender

    The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is continuing to roll out the rosters for eight World Tournaments set for 2025, with the latest release being the lightweight lineup.

    Major change is coming to the PFL this year, with the promotion making the decision to eliminate the season and playoff format from its yearly structure. Replacing that and the $1 million prize money will be Grand Prix-style tournaments across eight divisions, with the winners of each collecting $500,000.

    After confirming the dates and venue for four events that will host first-round matchups earlier this month, the PFL has been announcing the full rosters. Thus far, the welterweight, featherweight, women’s flyweight, bantamweight and middleweight lineups have been confirmed.

    And this week, the rollouts continued with the eight men set to compete in the inaugural lightweight tournament. Among the most notable inclusions is Gadzhi Rabadanov, a former Bellator contender who enjoyed a successful first year under the PFL banner, winning the 2024 lightweight season.

    He won’t be the only fighter with championship history competing. The man he defeated in last year’s final, ex-Bellator champion Brent Primus, will also feature in the bracket.

    Joining them will be the likes of former UFC contender Marc Diakiese, ex-Bellator title challenger Alexander Shabliy, and PFL veteran Clay Collard.

    See below for the full eight-man roster for this year’s lightweight World Tournament.

    • Gadzhi Rabadanov (24-4-2) 
    • Alexander Shabliy (24-4)
    • Marc Diakiese (18-7)
    • Jay Jay Wilson (10-1)
    • Mads Burnell (20-6)
    • Alfie Davis (17-5-1)
    • Brent Primus (15-4)
    • Clay Collard (25-14)
      • Alternate – Sergio Cossio (27-10-1)
      • Alternate – Robert Watley (15-3)
  • Teammate Says ‘Different Level’ Khabib Nurmagomedov Could Defeat Dricus Du Plessis At Middleweight

    Teammate Says ‘Different Level’ Khabib Nurmagomedov Could Defeat Dricus Du Plessis At Middleweight

    When Khabib Nurmagomedov announced that he would be retiring from MMA at UFC 254 in 2020, he did what very few athletes are able to do. “The Eagle” left the sport that he had dedicated his life to whilst being at the very top of the game.

    With an undefeated record of 29-0 and three title defenses under his belt, Nurmagomedov stuck to the promise that he had made his mother following the tragic loss of his father and coach, Abdulmanap. Who knows how much longer the champion could’ve stayed at the top but his final performance inside the Octagon against Justin Gaethje proved that he was still the best lightweight in the world by some distance.

    Since then, he has used his unbreakable mentality and elite experience to benefit the fighters around him by acting as a coach. His team recently had success at the 2024 PFL World Championships in Riyadh where Gadzhi Rabadanov brought even more lightweight gold to their trophy cabinet by stopping Brent Primus.

    In an interview with Bloody Elbow, Rabadanov spoke about the former UFC lightweight king and how he continues to be incredibly dedicated even after hanging up the gloves for good.

    “He trains like a professional fighter still, ever single day, he’s never going to stop. If he could he’d train while he’s flying or in the Arabian dessert.”

    Though he is still constantly training alongside his teammates, Nurmagomedov has put on a fair bit of size since stepping away which isn’t necessarily surprising given that lightweight was a difficult weight cut for him at several points in his career. With that in mind, though he doesn’t think Khabib will ever come back, Rabadanov believes that he could be a champion again in whatever weight class he ends up in.

    He believes that 185-pounds would probably be a better fit for “The Eagle” at this point in time but that doesn’t mean that Dricus Du Plessis would be able to stop from him getting his hands on UFC gold again if that’s what he really wanted.

    “He’s not lightweight any more. I think maybe middleweight is good. 100 per cent [he could beat Dricus Du Plessis]. Khabib is different level.”

  • Islam Makhachev Congratulates Teammate On PFL Championship Win

    Islam Makhachev Congratulates Teammate On PFL Championship Win

    UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev watched on as another teammate claimed 155-pound title glory in a major promotion.

    Gadzi Rabadanov, a former Eagle FC competitor and Bellator contender, was among those competing with gold on the line at the 2024 PFL World Championship last Friday, where both PFL Global and inaugural PFL MENA belts were dished out.

    The Dagestani figured on the main card opposite Brent Primus, whom he earned the right to face in the lightweight final by outpointing Solomon Renfro and Elvin Espinoza in the regular season before knocking out Michael Dufort in the semifinal.

    And Rabadanov sent the former Bellator champion to the same fate as Dumont in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Nov. 29, dominating through two rounds before brutally face-planting the American to close the show in the third frame.

    With the result, the Makhachkala native won gold in a major promotion, took home $1 million in prize money, and marked the latest from Khabib Nurmagomedov’s famed team to earn champion status.

    That was no doubt unsurprising to those who’ve trained with him, one being Makhachev. The UFC’s lightweight kingpin has long touted Rabadanov for success, and he praised his teammate’s victory in a social media post this past weekend.

    “Congratulations brother @gadzhi_rabadanov. I think in this Grand Prix you’re just beginning to reach your potential… And now a well-deserved rest.”

    Rabadanov has joined UFC’s Makhachev and Bellator standout Usman Nurmagomedov as the three lightweight titleholders in the major US-based organizations.

    In the past, Nurmagomedov has been tipped by his team to succeed Makhachev as the 155-pound king on MMA’s biggest stage. But with Rabadanov earning global praise for his 10th straight win, perhaps he, too, will pursue success in the Octagon down the line.

  • ‘Million Dollar Faceplant’ – Fans React As Gadzhi Rabadanov Becomes Latest From Team Khabib To Win Gold At PFL World Championship

    ‘Million Dollar Faceplant’ – Fans React As Gadzhi Rabadanov Becomes Latest From Team Khabib To Win Gold At PFL World Championship

    Dagestan now has another world champion in MMA after Gadzhi Rabadanov pulled off a strong finish of Brent Primus to become this year’s lightweight title winner at the 2024 PFL World Championship in Saudi Arabia.

    Rabadanov and Primus traded strikes early, with the former landing low kicks and his American counterpart responding with elbows and submission attempts when the fight went to the ground.

    Primus notably looked for a guillotine, and even a rare gogoplata. The Dagestani defended the attempts well, delivering ground-and-pound as the ex-Bellator champ looked for openings.

    Rabadanov dropped Primus in the second round with a strong right hand. Despite the veteran’s attempts at the rubber guard and more submission attempts, the Russian controlled the fight on the mat and landed some notable ground strikes.

    The teammate of reigning UFC champion Islam Makhachev and former kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov then put Primus away early in the third with a powerful one-two that faceplanted him.

    Gadzhi Rabadanov Wins PFL Lightweight Title With Third-Round Finish

    A former Combat Sambo world champion, Rabadanov joined the PFL following its acquisition of Bellator. He reached today’s title fight after wins over Solomon Renfro, Elvin Espinoza, and Michael Dufort this season.

    Primus, meanwhile, earned wins over Bruno Miranda, Renfro, and Clay Collard to reach the Riyadh-held event on Nov. 29.