Gadzhi Rabadanov Settles on Plan for Alfie Davis in PFL Final: ‘I Want to Break His Face’

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Coming off a Professional Fighters League championship run in 2024, Gadzhi Rabadanov wanted to make sure he cemented himself among the best lightweights in the sport without regard to promotion. There was no better stage for him to do so than the PFL 2025 World Tournament, and he now finds himself in position to repeat.

Rabadanov meets Bellator MMA veteran Alfie Davis when their lightweight final headlines PFL 2025 World Tournament 9 this Friday at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. He punched his ticket to the 155-pound championship with a first-round technical knockout of Kevin Lee on June 20.

“It was a good fight,” Rabadanov told Sherdog.com. “It was a good chance for me to show my level. I’m not surprised by how it went because I always believe in myself, and I know what I can do. When I beat him, I wasn’t surprised. Right now, I feel I can beat everybody.”

Fighters only get one shot! Watch the PFL World Tournament Finals LIVE Friday, Aug. 15 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+

Rabadanov, 32, had considered retirement a few years back, which makes his current run of success—he enters his latest assignment on a 12-fight winning streak—even more special.

“I just learned that when things get tough, never give up,” he said. “When people ask about my success right now, I tell everyone to never give up [and to] always believe in yourself and hard work. That’s all it is. It took me some time, but now I know all of this. If you believe in yourself, the entire world is yours. That’s the first step.”

That self-belief carries Rabadanov into his showdown with Davis, a 33-year-old Englishman who advanced to the final with a sensational first-round technical knockout of Clay Collard and a three-round unanimous decision over former Bellator champion Brent Primus.

“I don’t think there’s anything special about him,” Rabadanov said. “I think I’ve fought with much better fighters before, last year and this year. He’s a good striker, that much I know, but my level is much better than his. Right now, I’m on a different level. Maybe I will choke him out [or] maybe I will knock him out, I don’t know, but this guy is not on my level. I believe that, and I will show the world that he’s not on my level.”

Rabadanov could have taken a less treacherous road, forgone entry into the tournament and waited for his next opponent to emerge. However, he could not turn down the opportunity to repeat.

“When you’re not active, people forget you much faster,” Rabadanov said. “I wanted to be at the top faster. I didn’t want to stop my momentum. My body is good. I have no injuries. My health is great. Why couldn’t I be in the tournament again? So I came in and once again proved that I’m one of the best lightweights in the world.”

With an opportunity to strike gold in the PFL again in front of him, Rabadanov sent a simple but clear message to his opponent.

“You know what? I don’t like this guy,” he said. “I want to break his face, and I will do this.”