Gadzhi Rabadanov Building a Legacy Through Discipline

After three successful years in Bellator MMA, Gadzhi Rabadanov joined the Professional Fighters League roster for the 2024 regular season and has since carried the success he enjoyed with him. Two unanimous decision victories have put Rabadanov in the playoffs, with a semifinal matchup against Michael Dufort set for PFL 8 this Friday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

Now in a different format with the PFL and its points-based season, Rabadanov has recognized changes he had to make to be successful in 2024. A big part of those changes was just honing in on his discipline and managing himself to stay healthy and ready to compete more often in a short period of time.

“It’s different; it’s a different system,” Rabadanov told Sherdog.com. “I like that I’m busy all year. I have a fight every couple months. I like this. I enjoy this. I like this system. It’s different with points and different from a grand prix, but now I know how to work this system.”

As part of the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov team now led by former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov, there’s a different level of discipline compared to other fighters around the world. Rabadanov believes that discipline has helped carried him in his first season with the PFL.

“Discipline is very important here because we have a very busy schedule,” he said. “We have four fights in a matter of seven months. You have to make sure you’re on point. You have to make sure you follow all your regimen. Definitely in [the] PFL, you have to have discipline.”

That discipline is what could lead Rabadanov to become world champion in 2024. He believes claiming a PFL title would cement his legacy, which means more to him than the $1 million prize that goes to the tournament winner.

“This is my goal,” Rabadanov said. “This is really my goal to become champ. I want to take the belt. All of my friends talk about money. ‘Hey, you get money. Soon you become champion, you make money, you make money.’ Everybody talks about money. I told them I don’t think about money, but they don’t believe me. First off, I think about the belt, about being champion. Getting the belt, this means legacy, this means history. If you will be champion, [the belt] is more important than money, I think.”

As for Dufort, Rabadanov paid respect to his opponent but doesn’t believe he deserves to be in the playoffs. The Canadian dropped a unanimous decision to Adam Piccolotti in his regular-season finale but still manage to qualify for the postseason, thanks to a guillotine choke submission of Mads Burnell in April.

“Dufort is a good opponent for me,” Rabadanov said. “He’s very good, he’s tough, he’s strong, but I don’t think he deserves to be here because he lost his last fight. But this is the system. Now we fight with him. We will see. He’s a good opponent for me.”