Lightweight Rashid Magomedov looked excellent at PFL 2 2019, defeating Loik Radzhabov by decision. What’s even more impressive, is that he fought while fasting for Ramadan.
Uniondale, NY – Rashid Magomedov, a lightweight finalist from Season 1 of PFL, notched his first victory of the 2019 season with a clean decision victory over Loik Radzhabov. The Russian earned three points and set the stage for a run at the lightweight championship in 2019.
Magomedov took a defensive approach to the fight, utilizing slick counter-punches and trips to slow the aggressive advance of Radzhabov. Not only did Radzhabov’s output take Magomedov by surprise, but his toughness as well.
“I was planning on taking him down more than I did, but he started fighting more in the stand-up, so I had to strike with him. I didn’t expect him to be as aggressive as he was. I thought he would wrestle with me but he wanted to strike the whole fight. He surprised me because I thought I would punch him and he would go back a bit. But he was moving forward constantly and that surprised me.”
Magomedov, who normally trains at American Top Team in Florida, had to adjust his training camp for this fight due to Ramadan. During Ramadan, Muslims must fast from dawn until sunset, which understandably makes training very difficult.
“Because of the holy month of Ramadan, I was fasting. In the US, the gyms only work in the daytime. So in Dagestan, I was fasting during the day, then at night, I was preparing for the fight,” Magomedov continued, “It’s a little bit harder, especially in the beginning, but you get used to it. In the daytime, I was fasting then training at night. So I did two training sessions during the night. It’s difficult in the beginning, but I’ve practiced it a lot, it’s not my first year [in the sport].”
Lastly, a rib injury last year pulled the former UFC contender from a bout in the PFL regular season, but he was still able to make it to the finals. The injury never quite fully healed though.
“It is better than it was last season, but I still feel some pain so I have to go to the doctor and he will check.”
Hopefully, that injury will not turn into anything serious because Magomedov is easily one of the most talented fighters on the PFL roster.
