Gadzhi Rabadanov holds mixed feelings regarding Kevin Lee`s upcoming PFL debut, which is set to take place Friday in Wichita, Kansas, as a semifinal bout.
Rabadanov secured his spot in the semifinals with a swift 32-second victory over Marc Diakiese in April. He was initially preparing to face Jay Jay Wilson on June 20th before Lee was brought in as a replacement. Lee`s direct entry into the semifinals, bypassing the initial stages of the tournament, has sparked discussion, particularly as original alternates Antonio Caruso and Vinicius Cenci were not granted the same opportunity to contend for the belt.
Speaking through a translator to MMA Fighting, Rabadanov commented, “For me, personally, he’s a great opponent. I would like to fight him. It’s just I think maybe it’s a little bit unfair that he jumped in straight into semifinals. It might be just unfair to other guys who were in the tournament, but overall I’m looking forward to this fight.”
Despite perceiving Lee`s situation as an “unfair” advantage, Rabadanov insists he will approach the fight like any other.
“For me, it’s not about what’s fair with the other guys, for me it’s about my next opponent,” Rabadanov stated. “And I’m gonna take them all out, regardless who’s in front of me. I just focus on myself, on my best performance, and just taking out my next opponent.” He added that from a name recognition standpoint, facing Kevin Lee is beneficial: “To be open about it, to be honest, I think Kevin Lee is a better matchup for me because of his name, because I’m going to get the extra media attention for that. So name-wise, I think it’s a great matchup for me.”
The article briefly touches upon Kevin Lee`s recent career path, including his departures from the UFC and his results in other promotions, culminating in a recent first-round submission win before joining PFL.
Rabadanov mentioned he hasn`t seen all of Lee`s recent bouts but is aware of his past performances. He believes Lee`s skill set remains intact, and the key variable will be his current state of motivation. “Maybe he got rest, maybe he got new motivation, maybe new aspirations,” Rabadanov mused. “We’re gonna see how he’s prepared for the fight when we’re gonna be in the cage… I’ve seen his last fight with Sanchez in Eagle FC. I haven’t seen the latest one, but I know the skills are still there. It’s the question of his motivation, obviously, where he stands right now.”
With 14 finishes among his 25 MMA victories (including nine knockouts), Rabadanov aims for another quick finish to secure his place in the lucrative $500,000 lightweight tournament final.
“Definitely, given the opportunity. I will try to knock him out in the first round,” Rabadanov declared. “I’m looking for spectacular fights. And I think my audience, my fans, already understand that. They like my style and I need to deliver to them.”
Rabadanov arrives at PFL 6 on the strength of an 11-fight winning streak, spanning five victories in PFL and five under the Bellator banner. As a teammate of elite lightweights such as Usman Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, Rabadanov has consistently believed he is among the division`s best. Upholding his team`s reputation serves as a powerful motivator.
He describes this as less pressure and more a sense of duty. “It’s hard to tell whether it’s pressure or rather motivation,” Rabadanov commented. “I feel responsibility. I’m responsible to showcase myself, to go there, to represent our team, all the skills. So if anything, I feel responsible for going out there and showing my best.”
