Gadzhi Rabadanov likes Kevin Lee fight, but not a fan of ‘unfair’ treatment given by PFL

Kevin Lee will make his PFL debut Friday in a semifinal bout in Wichita, Kansas, and his opponent Gadzhi Rabadanov has mixed feelings about that.

Rabadanov ran over Marc Diakiese in just 32 seconds in his quarterfinal match in April and was preparing to face Jay Jay Wilson on June 20 when Lee stepped in as a replacement. Antonio Caruso and Vinicius Cenci were originally paired in an alternate bout for the 155-pound grand prix, but Lee came in later and is eligible to win the belt.

“For me, personally, he’s great opponent. I would like to fight him,” Rabadanov told MMA Fighting through a translator. “It’s just I think maybe it’s a little bit unfair that he jumped in straight into semifinals. It might be just unfair to other guys who were in the tournament, but overall I’m looking forward to this fight.”

Despite what he considers an unfair privilege, Rabadanov will treat this fight as any other.

“For me, it’s not about what’s fair with the other guys, for me it’s about my next opponent,” Rabadanov said. “And I’m gonna take them all out, regardless who’s in front of me. I just focus on myself, on my best performance, and just taking out my next opponent. … To be open about it, to be honest, I think Kevin Lee is a better matchup for me because of his name, because I’m going to get the extra media attention for that. So name-wise, I think it’s a great matchup for me.”

Lee first left the UFC in 2021 after losing five of seven fights, three of those by stoppage, and went back after defeating Diego Sanchez in March 2022. Lee was tapped by Rinat Fakhretdinov in July 2023 and again released by the promotion, then returning to the winning column with a first-round submission over Thiago Oliveira in the third quarter of 2024.

“Maybe he got rest, maybe he got new motivation, maybe new aspirations,” Rabadanov said. “We’re gonna see how he’s prepared for the fight when we’re gonna be in the cage. I haven’t seen all of his latest fights. I’ve just watched some highlights of his UFC performance. I’ve seen his last fight with Sanchez in Eagle FC. I haven’t seen the latest one, but I know the skills are still there. It’s the question of his motivation, obviously, where he stands right now.”

Rabadanov scored 14 finishes in 25 MMA wins, nine of those by knockout, and aims to make it quick again to earn his ticket to the $500,000 lightweight tournament final.

“Definitely, given the opportunity. I will try to knock him out in the first round,’ Rabadanov said. “I’m looking for spectacular fights. And I think my audience, my fans, already understand that. They like my style and I need to deliver to them.”

The Russian talent enters PFL 6 riding an 11-fight winning streak, five in PFL and five under the Bellator banner, and is a teammate of lightweight greats Usman Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. Rabadanov “always believe that I’m one of the best lightweights out there,” and keeping the team’s name at the top of the division is something that drives him to perfection.

“It’s hard to tell whether it’s pressure or rather motivation,” Rabadanov said. “I feel responsibility. I’m responsible to showcase myself, to go there, to represent our team, all the skills. So if anything, I feel responsible for going out there and showing my best.”