A year of understanding what was in front of him, along with the road less traveled to a championship opportunity, led Gadzhi Rabadanov to a moment he was prepared for: winning the Professional Fighters League.
Speaking to Sherdog.com as the 2024 PFL Regular Season began, Rabadanov, a Bellator MMA veteran since 2021, believed he would become world champion. He started his season with a unanimous decision win over Solomon Renfro, followed by another unanimous decision victory against Elvin Espinoza, punching his playoff ticket.
He would make an emphatic statement with a second-round TKO of Michael Dufort in his August semifinal, which meant that all Rabadanov needed was a win over fellow longtime Bellator staple Brent Primus in the championship on Nov.