Newly-crowned PFL champion pays emotional tribute to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s late father

PFL champion Gadzhi Rabadanov used his biggest career moment to pay tribute to the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

The top lightweight won the $1 million championship on Friday night in Riyadh, viciously defeating former Bellator champion Brent Primus in the third round of their encounter. His victory capped a brutal four-fight season that saw him continue his last winning streak.

And in the immediate aftermath of his victory, he paid tribute to his former coach, who passed away in 2020. Abdulmanap is the father of legendary UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, who now trains fighters at their gym in Dagestan.

Gadzhi Rabadanov knocks out Brent Primus to win a $1 million PFL tournament

Even with his years of experience, it would have been wise to see that Rabadanov had spent less time at the top of the sport than Primus. The American had already won gold in Bellator, competing with the likes of Michael Chandler and Benson Henderson.

But the Russian refused to be pressured into underperforming in Saudi Arabia, and even appeared to pull away from the crowd. He dropped Primus twice before brutally ending their fight in the third round after an impressive first two.

The Russian connected with a flush left hook that floored Primus in the third after an impressive first few rounds. Three subsequent punches sent Rabadanov's opponent crashing face-first to the canvas, where he ate another unnecessary punch en route to a KO of the Year contender.

Gadzhi Rabadanov pays emotional tribute to Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov

For the better part of a decade, Rabadanov has been making a name for himself in the MMA world. He met the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov early in his career and was one of a number of fighters who viewed the famed coach as a father figure of sorts.

“The belt is a continuation of the legacy of the great trainer Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov who is not with us,” Rabadanov said after the fight. “I'm sad that he didn't see me succeed, this belt is for my school and Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

“It's for my team, I'm continuing the legacy of our club. Abdulmanap is one of the few people who believed in me. He said, 'I believe he can and will fight!' When I fought for the GFC title, Abdulmanap believed in me.

“This belt is very valuable for our school, we miss Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. There are a lot of emotions right now, but it's definitely difficult for us without him.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev react to teammates' huge PFL win

The victory marks a monstrous achievement for Khabib Nurmagomedov's team, with the group now holding all lightweight titles in MMA's three biggest promotions. Islam Makhachev is the UFC champion, while Usman Nurmagomedov holds the Bellator belt.

On Instagram, Khabib declared in his stories that “history” had been made with the win. “Three best organizations in the world, three current champions in the lightweight division,” Nurmagomedov wrote in Russian on his Instagram stories. “This is something unreal in my opinion.”

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

He continued that message by adding, “You are the best, you just had to do this for a long time and prepare hard. Amateur World Champion and now Professional World Champion, this is history, brother.”

Makhachev then added his own take on the result, writing on Instagram: “Congratulations brother @gadzhi_rabadanov. I think you are only just starting to reach your potential in this Grand Prix, and now a well-deserved rest.”

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