Coming into his PFL debut, Kevin Lee said that his motivations were different. On Friday night at PFL Wichita, Lee faced the reigning 2024 PFL Tournament Lightweight champion in Gadzhi Rabadanov. A fighter who is arguably the toughest task of the PFL’s Lightweight division outside of fellow Russian champion, Usman Nurmagomedov.
Early in round one, both fighters took part in feeling each other out. Under a minute in, Rabadanov landed a stiff jab to rock Lee, noticeably wobbling him and leaving lasting effects. A short time later, Rabadonov stumbled Lee again, and from there on out, the legs of Kevin Lee never looked the same. His composure kept him in the fight, but Gadzhi Rabadonov smelled the blood in the water and patently worked to find the big moment where a huge combination sent Kevin Lee falling face-first into the canvas.
The right hand of Rabadonov was certainly the kryptonite as he successfully punched his ticket to the 2025 PFL World Tournament Finals this August. This year, Rabadonov will have the opportunity to win the tournament two years in a row when he faces Alfie Davis on August 15 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Official Result: Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Kevin Lee by TKO, Round 1, 2:37
