PFL champion Gadzhi Rabadanov used his biggest career moment to pay tribute to the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
The top lightweight won the $1million Championship on Friday night in Riyadh, viciously knocking out the former Bellator champion Brent Primus in the third round of their meeting. His victory closed out a brutal four-fight season, which saw him continue his latest winning run.
And in the immediate aftermath of his victory, he made sure to pay tribute to his former coach, who passed away in 2020. Abdulmanap is the father of legendary UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is now training fighters at their gym in Dagestan.
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Gadzhi Rabadanov knocks out Brent Primus to win $1million PFL tournament
Even with his years of experience, it would have been sage to see Rabadanov as having spent less time at the sport’s top table than Primus. The American had already won gold in Bellator, and competed with the likes of Michael Chandler and Benson Henderson.
But the Russian didn’t allow pressure to make him underperform in Saudi Arabia, in fact seeming to draw from the crowd. He dropped Primus twice before bringing their bout to a brutal end in the third round, after an impressive first two.
The Russian connected with a flush left hook that had Primus out on his feet in the third after an impressive first few rounds. Three follow-up punches sent Rabadanov’s opponent crashing face-first to the canvas where he ate one more unnecessary punch on route to a KO of the Year contender.
Gadzhi Rabadanov pays emotional tribute to Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov
For the best part of a decade, Rabadanov has been forging a name for himself in the MMA world. He met the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov early in his career, and was one of a number of fighters who viewed the famed coach as something of a father figure.
“The belt is a continuation of the legacy of great trainer Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov who is not with us,” Rabadanov said after the fight. “I’m sad that he couldn’t see me succeed, this belt is for my school and Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
“It’s for my team, I’m continuing the legacy of our club. Abdulmanap is one of the few people who believed in me. He said ‘I believe he can and will fight!’ When I fought for the GFC title, Abdulmanap believed in me.
“This belt is very valuable to out school, we’re missing Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. There’s a lot of emotion right now but definitely it’s hard for us without him.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev react to teammates huge PFL win
The victory marks a monstrous achievement for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team, with the group now holding all of the titles at lightweight across MMA’s three biggest promotions. Islam Makhachev is UFC champion, while Usman Nurmagomedov holds the Bellator belt.
Taking to Instagram, Khabib declared on his stories that ‘history’ had been made with the victory. “Three best organizations in the world three current champions in lightweight division,” Nurmagomedov wrote in Russian on his Instagram stories. “This is something unreal in my opinion.”
He followed that message up by adding: “You are the best, you just haved to this for a long time and prepared hard. World champion in amateurs and now world champion in pros this is history, brother.”
Makhachev then added his own perspective on the result, writing on Instagram: “Congratulations brother @gadzhi_rabadanov. I think in this Grand Prix you’re just beginning to reach your potential, and now a well-deserved rest.”
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