Ahead of the PFL World Tournament Finals this week, Gadzhi Rabadanov spoke to Fighters Only's Paul Browne about his insane winning streak and his development into a world-class striker.
Gadzhi Rabadanov can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
For the second consecutive year, Rabadanov (26-4-2) has reached the finals of the PFL World Tournament, where he will face British standout Alfie Davis (19-5-1) for the 155-pound title this Friday at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Rabadanov won four straight fights to claim the 2024 PFL World Tournament crown, then picked up right where he left off this year with victories over Marc Diakiese and Kevin Lee. The 32-year-old is now riding a 12-fight winning streak overall, with his last six bouts taking place in just 14 months.
“Yes, it's not bad,” Rabadanov said when asked about his busy fight schedule. “It’s been a very busy year. You can earn money fighting this often, and that’s good. But it’s not easy, and your body gets tired. If something is damaged and you have a lot of pain in all fights, it’s a very difficult season. You don’t have time for recovery.
“And every few months, you have to lose sometimes more than 10 kilograms. It’s not that easy, but when I became a professional fighter, I understood it. After last season, I realized how I need to train and take care of my body. Now I have a little more experience, I’m in the finals again, and I can become the PFL champion.”
Finishing Power Unlocked
Rabadanov’s challenging schedule has also contributed to his growth and development as a fighter. From 2021 to 2024, six of the Russian’s seven victories came via the judges’ scorecards. However, midway through the 2024 tournament, he seemed to unlock a newfound finishing power, racking up four consecutive knockout wins.
First-round stoppages over both Diakiese and Lee mean Rabadanov has spent just 3 minutes and 9 seconds inside the PFL SmartCage in this year’s tournament so far, compared to more than 49 minutes of cage time during his 2024 championship run.
“This is business,” Rabadanov says. “If you want to reach the top faster, you must finish people. If you want people to talk about it, you have to finish someone. And I am doing it. This is the first thing. It's not about saving yourself for the next fight — it’s about showing people what they want, what they pay for. People want to see a big show. And I will show people this.”
Ready to Stand and Deliver
Rabadanov trains at the renowned Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov school in Dagestan alongside stars such as Islam Makhachev, Usman Nurmagomedov, and fellow PFL tournament champion Movlid Khaybulaev. Under the watchful eye of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, he consistently brings an elite-level grappling pedigree into the cage every time he competes.
As he gears up to face Alfie Davis this weekend — a dangerous and highly decorated striker — Rabadanov says his stand-up game has evolved to the point where he’s confident going toe-to-toe with anyone. He points to the patience he showed after hurting former UFC interim title challenger Kevin Lee early in his last fight as proof of his striking maturity.
“Alf is a very good striker,” Rabadanov says of his opponent. “He has a lot of good strikes, but he’s nothing special. I can also strike. I can kill this guy. I think I was fighting much stronger guys before. I improved my boxing skills. And now I can be a striker whenever I want. I can be a fighter whenever I want. Now I dictate the rules.
“I have almost 31 fights, and I think I have a lot of experience now. If you have experience, then you should be smart in battle. When I hurt Kevin Lee for the first time, I told myself to relax, and you will have the opportunity to finish him again. I think it's all connected to experience. I am not young — I’m a very experienced fighter.”
