Latest news with #Rabadanov
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 PFL World Tournament 9 results: Alfie Davis upsets Gadzhi Rabadanov in final
Against all odds, Alfie Davis is a PFL tournament champion. The English fighter was crowned champion of the 2025 PFL lightweight tournament after outpointing Gadzhi Rabadanov in the main event of 2025 PFL World Tournament 9, which took place Friday at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C. Despite being a sizable underdog, Davis (20-5-1) won with 48-47 scores from all three judges. Davis took home the 2025 PFL lightweight tournament belt and a $500,000 prize on top of his fight purse. This was Davis' first major championship belt of his 10-year MMA career. It was a slow, but hard-fought win for Davis at 2025 PFL World Tournament 9. Although he didn't do a ton of damage on Rabadanov (26-5-2), Davis clearly landed the better shots of the fight and was far more active than Rabadanov on the feet. Rabadanov made the fight close by pressuring Davis and controlling him at times with his wrestling. Unfortunately for Rabadanov, he didn't do enough damage with his control, ultimately losing a close decision. With this result, Davis is now on a three-fight winning streak and 6-1 in his past seven bouts. He entered the tournament as an underdog, but ended up upsetting several notable names in Clay Collard, former Bellator champion Brent Primus, and now Rabadanov, who had won the 2024 PFL lightweight tournament. On the other hand, Rabadanov saw a 12-fight wining streak come to an end. He hadn't tasted defeat since losing his Eagle FC lightweight title in 2020. Rabadanov has stopped former UFC fighters Kevin Lee and Marc Diakiese en route to the 2025 PFL lightweight tournament final.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Why Alfie Davis is confident he can exploit Gadzhi Rabadanov in PFL 9 final
Alfie Davis sees a kink in Gadzhi Rabadanov's armor – especially in five-round fights. Davis (19-5-1) meets Rabadanov (26-4-2) in Friday's 2025 PFL World Tournament 9: Finals headliner (ESPN, ESPN+) at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C. The last time Rabadanov tasted defeat was in a five-round decision loss to Mehdi Dakaev in December 2020. Davis took a lot from that fight. "I definitely went back to when he lost because although he's been on a bit of a streak, I think people just stylistically and tendencies are still the same," Davis told MMA Junkie Radio. "Even myself, I still have tendencies and stuff that I do when I first started kickboxing. I just think your body is designed in certain ways. So, I definitely looked at his last loss, and it was a five rounder. So, he got exploited in that one when he lost in the five rounder. "He got tired. His style of boxing didn't really lend to the style that this guy was using, so I watched that. Also, I've been watching even his recent wins. Some of them, he's had some edgy moments, like particularly his fight against J.J. Wilson. He nearly lost that fight. There were some other fights where they were quite close, and he's made some stuff that I feel like I can exploit." Davis has surprised many with his route to the finals by taking out veterans Clay Collard and Brent Primus. He understands how life changing the $500,000 can be but insists that winning a world title has more value to him. "I keep pinching myself, and I'm like, wow, if I win this money, it's mad what it can do for me and my family," Davis said. "But equally I've got a job to do, and I think winning the title and what that represents will mean more to me. I've always had this inclination that I'm going to earn a lot of money in my life. I feel like I work hard, I educate myself. "So, I feel like it's only a matter of time before I earn a lot of money. But there's not a lot of time where you become a world champion. I've got a certain window where I can do that. So, the money is a big deal, don't get me wrong, but it's more about me performing and showing what I've been working so hard on for so many years."
OC Media
09-07-2025
- Politics
- OC Media
Daghestani sports commentator given suspended sentence for illegal possession of ammunition
Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member On Tuesday, the Leninsky District Court of Makhachkala found 63-year-old sports commentator and blogger Ramazan Rabadanov guilty of illegally possessing ammunition and explosives, sentencing him to three years and two months of suspended imprisonment and fining him ₽50,000 ($640). The sentence was reported by Russian outlet Kommersant, citing Zarema Mamaeva, head of the united press service of Daghestan's courts. The case was opened in November 2024 on criminal code charges of possession of ammunition and explosives. According to law enforcement officers, on 6 November 2024, Rabadanov was found during a personal search to be in possession of a hand grenade, a pistol, and five cartridges. Rabadanov denied the accusations, claiming that the items were planted by security officers. In his defence, Rabadanov pointed to pressure from the authorities due to his public and journalistic activities. He had publicly expressed support for those accused in the antisemitic riots at Makhachkala Airport in October 2023, hosted livestreams in their defence, and had reportedly planned to attend court hearings in the Stavropol region related to the case. After his arrest, his relatives stated that Rabadanov had received threats from law enforcement officers tied specifically to his broadcasts. Rabadanov also sustained injuries during his detention. At a hearing to determine pre-trial restrictions, his legal team stated that security officers used force against him and threatened him with a firearm to obtain the password to his phone. 'They forcibly placed his finger on the phone to unlock it. His kidneys are bruised, he has a black eye, loose teeth, and cuts on his hand',Chernovik cited his lawyer as saying. At the same hearing, Rabadanov announced that he was 'giving up his media presence' since the authorities and security forces viewed it as 'a sign of criminality'. His popular YouTube channel ceased operations shortly afterward. Rabadanov's son, Zaur, who at the time was participating in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, recorded a video appeal to President Vladimir Putin, asking for an investigation into law enforcement's actions. 'My father is not a sucker to be treated like this,' Zaur Rabadanov said. In January, the court replaced Rabadanov's pre-trial detention with house arrest. Rabadanov became known in the North Caucasus in the 1990s as a sports commentator, covering football, wrestling, and mixed martial arts tournaments. He also hosted popular livestreams and had over 40,000 followers on Instagram, a platform now banned in Russia. Residents of Daghestan who are prosecuted for illegal weapons or ammunition possession regularly claim that security forces planted the evidence, often citing political motives. Such allegations have been made by numerous individuals accused of such crimes.
USA Today
21-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 PFL 6 video: Gadzhi Rabadanov destroys Kevin Lee in lopsided few minutes
GADZHI RABADANOV DOMINATES KEVIN LEE FOR A FIRST ROUND VICTORY!#PFLWorldTournament LIVE NOW🇺🇸 ESPN & ESPN+🌎 Gadzhi Rabadanov barely broke a sweat inside the PFL cage Friday in Wichita, Kan. In the 2025 PFL World Tournament 6 main event, Rabadanov (26-4-2) defeated Lee (20-9) via TKO due to punches at 2:37 of Round 1. The fight served as one of two lightweight tournament semifinal bouts at INTRUST Bank Arena. From the beginning of the fight, nearly every punch that hit Lee squarely got a noticeable reaction out of him. Rabadanov put Lee on roller skates more than once. Lee hit the deck on multiple occasions as he tried to either regain his balance or scramble for a leg. Before long, Rabadanov landed the finishing combination. Lee went face down and Rabadnov hit him once more before referee Jason Herzog jumped in. Rabadanov will face Alfie Davis in the lightweight tournament final Aug. 15 in Charlotte, N.C.. He entered the 2025 calendar as the 2024 PFL lightweight champion. A protege of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Rabadanov rides a 12-fight winning streak dating back to December 2020. Lee, 32, entered the tournament as an alternate to replace the injured Jay Jay Wilson. The bout was his PFL debut and only his second in MMA since his one-off return with the UFC in July 2023. Full 2025 PFL 6 results
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 PFL 6 video: Gadzhi Rabadanov destroys Kevin Lee in lopsided few minutes
Gadzhi Rabadanov barely broke a sweat inside the PFL cage Friday in Wichita, Kan. In the 2025 PFL World Tournament 6 main event, Rabadanov (26-4-2) defeated Lee (20-9) via TKO due to punches at 2:37 of Round 1. The fight served as one of two lightweight tournament semifinal bouts at INTRUST Bank Arena. Advertisement From the beginning of the fight, nearly every punch that hit Lee squarely got a noticeable reaction out of him. Rabadanov put Lee on roller skates more than once. Lee hit the deck on multiple occasions as he tried to either regain his balance or scramble for a leg. Before long, Rabadanov landed the finishing combination. Lee went face down and Rabadnov hit him once more before referee Jason Herzog jumped in. Rabadanov will face Alfie Davis in the lightweight tournament final Aug. 15 in Charlotte, N.C.. He entered the 2025 calendar as the 2024 PFL lightweight champion. A protege of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Rabadanov rides a 12-fight winning streak dating back to December 2020. Advertisement Lee, 32, entered the tournament as an alternate to replace the injured Jay Jay Wilson. The bout was his PFL debut and only his second in MMA since his one-off return with the UFC in July 2023. Full 2025 PFL 6 results This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: 2025 PFL 6 video: Kevin Lee left face-down by Gadzhi Rabadanov
