Gadzhi Rabadanov takes on Alex Chizov in the co-main event at PFL Sioux Falls on May 2nd. Speaking during fight week, the PFL’s number two-ranked lightweight contender was touching on the machinations of the matchup with Chizov, as Rabadanov said [viaBowks Talking Bouts],
“Yes. I’m so happy be here again after rest after last fight. I have very good opponent, PFL Europe champion. Very tough, tough guy, and I’m very excited. I’m ready. It will [be a] very good match for us.”
Rabadanov had a rare setback against Alfie Davis, where Davis was able to secure a PFL title shot against his teammate off of that victory when Davis battled with Usman Nurmagomedov. When describing the big takeaways from that Davis fight this past August, Gadzhi Rabadanov quipped [viaBowks Talking Bouts],
“Fight with Alfie. I know it was a little bit bulls**t fight, you know. A little bit mistake and no excuse. Alfie’s win but if I beat Alex Chizov, I want to ask PFL about rematch. I want to get rematch with this guy, and we will see first of Alex Chizov.”
When expounding upon more of the specifics as to why he felt that Davis bout was a “bulls**t” fight, to use his operative wording, Gadzhi Rabadanov stated [viaBowks Talking Bouts],
“A lot of things [are] going to happen, but I don’t want to talk about this because this like excuse, you know. I don’t like excuse. This not about me, and we have what we have, you know. We will see, but if they going to give me rematch, I’ll show people, and I broke this guy. I believe if I help it, if I’m ready, I broke this guy. Finish this guy. We will see.”
The trope of ‘iron sharpens iron’ is embodied in such a pronounced way when training out of that Team Khabib. When discussing the dynamics of being a product of such an elite collective, Gadzhi Rabadanov stated [viaBowks Talking Bouts],
“I train with the best fighters in the world. We have a lot of champions. We have a lot of titles from a lot of promotions.Bellatorbefore, UFC, PFL champion, UAE Warriors, Russian promotion. We have a lot of champions in gym, and of course I’m so happy [to] be there. Represent this team, represent legacy, our coach. Legendary coach, you know, and I show, I prove people, we are [the] best team in the world.”
The former PFL tournament champ finds himself in a curious spot where the promotion has shifted from tournament structuring, but where the divisional kingpin of his weight category is a teammate who is quite close to him. When touching upon some of those tendrils, Rabadanov quipped [viaBowks Talking Bouts],
“Now we don’t have tournament right. We don’t have tournament, we have ranking, we have one champion. One champion, Usman [Nurmagomedov], and right now I can’t talk about. I can’t talk about title fight because this guy my teammate, my brother. We will see what going to happen in the future. Right now, I have opponent, we will see. But for me right now, title fight, we can’t talk about this.”
Source: LowKickMMA.com
