Khabib Nurmagomedov and his team are gearing up for some huge fights that the former UFC star will play a big part in.
While Nurmagomedov recently leaked Islam Makhachev’s next outing, for now, the team has business to attend to in the PFL.
The promotion is currently running through the finals for the first year of the ‘World Tournament’ that replaced the season format in 2025.
PFL gold has already been brought back to Dagestan with Movlid Khaybulaev remaining undefeated in his finals matchup with Jesus Pinedo this past weekend.
Ten days from now, another member of the team will look to continue his dominant streak in the promotion against a fighter that ‘The Eagle’ is cautious of.
Khabib Nurmagomedov immediately warned Gadzhi Rabadanov about Alfie Davis following his latest win
While the likes of Islam Makhachev and Usman Nurmagomedov may be leading the way for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team, the gym is filled with elite fighters and champions.
Gadzhi Rabadanov may have only recently started to be considered as an elite lightweight but when you look at his run of form, it’s easy to see why.
The Russian went from winning six consecutive unanimous decisions in Bellator and the PFL to knocking out four consecutive opponents.
After winning the PFL’s 2024 lightweight season, he’s continued his form into the World Tournament by stopping both Marc Diakiese and Kevin Lee in the first round.
In the finals, he’ll face English striking specialist Alfie Davis who is clearly an opponent that Nurmagomedov has a lot of respect for.
‘The Eagle’ spoke in a recent preview video for the matchup by the PFL where he revealed that after Rabadanov stopped Lee, who at one point was one of the top lightweights in the UFC when Nurmagomedov was still active, he warned him about his next challenge.
“When he finished Kevin Lee, just right after the fight I messaged him. ‘Brother, I’m very happy for you but this upcoming fight is [a] very dangerous fight’… I tell him this opponent is like different level. You have to use not only your boxing for this fight. You have to use all your background. This is [the] best two guys.”
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MMA legend Brad Pickett also warns Gadzhi Rabadanov about standing with Alfie Davis
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s comments in the video suggest that while Gadzhi Rabadanov has found a lot of success with his striking, he doesn’t want him to rely solely on this on August 15.
Alfie Davis admitted in the preview that he’d give the wrestling advantage to his opponent but he believes that he’ll be able to fight at a high pace for longer than the Russian.
The idea that Rabadanov might become tired or too dependent on his boxing was echoed by Davis’ coach, MMA legend Brad Pickett.
“He’s been knocking out people left, right and center but good luck with trying to hit Alfie. He is a tricky puzzle… If he doesn’t stay disciplined enough, he’ll be punished.”