Trey Ogden was last in the octagon back in March when he earned a unanimous decision victory over Kurt Holobaugh. Loik Radzhabov had last graced the octagon when he finished Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady in the final round of their bout in March.

The fight started out with Loik getting right to work. He landed a couple hard punches right away. Trey was able to land a takedown just seconds into the fight. Loik struggled to his feet, but Ogden dragged him right back down the mat, this time taking control of his opponent’s back against the cage. Radzhabov elected to go to his belly and absorbed a few strikes from his opponent. Midway thru the round and Ogden is using a half to control the head and neck of Loik before securing a body triangle. Trey began to look for the rear naked choke as Loik continued to valiantly hand fight to defend. Ogden would land short punches and look for the choke, unsuccessfully, until the end of the round.

Herb Dean gave a hard warning for fence grabbing to Loik before the start of the second. To begin the round Loik was swinging hard, committing to his punches, and even momentarily struck into the clinch. Ogden began to look uncomfortable as the fight continued on the feet. Radzhabov landed a few thudding punches and evaded a desperate takedown from Ogden. Trey continued to be on the back foot taking a few thudding punches against the cage before slowing down the pace and gaining some respect, temporarily, in the clinch. Midway thru the round and Loik was still coming forward and throwing strikes as Ogden initiated a clinch. From there, Ogden landed a slick takedown and immediately passed to full mount. Ogden looked for an arm triangle choke as he softened up his opponent with short strikes. Loik defended the choke and eventually Ogden narrowly lost the choke trying to finish it. Radzhabov explosively initiated a scramble, avoided a desperate head lock, and got right back to work striking till the end of the round.

To start the final round, Loik went right back to throwing heat with his hands. Ogden took no chances this time, and immediately seized the opportunity to land a well-timed takedown. In full mount, Ogden landed some punches and set up the head and arm choke once again. Midway thru the round and Trey is still trying to isolate the arm and shoulder of his opponent as he landed damaging annoying short strikes. Radzhabov was able to escape once again and eluded a guillotine attempt. Ogden stayed on the ground and looked absolutely exhausted. Loik rained down some ground and pound from a standing/kneeling position for the remainder of the round. With seconds left in the fight, Loik flew midway across the octagon from a pushing up kick from Ogden.

Official Result: Trey Ogden def. Loik Radzhabov by Unanimous Decision, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27

The post Trey Ogden Dominates Radzhabov To Decision Win appeared first on Cageside Press.

A former PFL athlete with nine fights under that promotion’s banner, Radzhabov was 1-1 to start his UFC career. Al-Selwady, meanwhile, had held gold in Desert Force, Brave CF, and Fury FC before arriving on Dana White’s Contender Series last year.

Early on, Al-Selwady was attacking with leg kicks and going to the body. Al-Selwady was using a lot of movement and feints while letting his kicks go. Radzhabov got respect landing a right hand and putting Al-Selwady against the cage. Al-Selwady ended up reversing and getting space. Radzhabov pressed forward and seemed to hurt Al-Selwady with a right hand. He sat Al-Selwady down and landed a barrage of punches. Al-Selwady was surviving but kept getting taken down as he was getting back up. Eventually, they got back to their feet and Radzhabov timed another right hand off a kick. With seconds left Al-Selwady dropped Radzhabov briefly with a right of his own. An action-packed opening round.

Round two started and Radzhabov came forward with a right hand and a knee. Al-Selwady was uncomfortable every time Radzhabov came forward. He shot in for a takedown but Radzhabov shrugged it off. Al-Selwady was still moving a lot and did a great gob of attacking the lead leg. A lot of lateral movement from Al-Selwady seemed to slow Radzhabov a bit deep in round two. Still defensively sound stopping the takedown from Al-Selwady. Al-Selwady was in on a few takedowns but eventually got one when he timed a double leg with a minute left. Radzhabov was able to get back to his feet in the final seconds.

Going into the final round there was a good chance the fight was one-to-one. Right away it was Radzhabov in on a takedown but Al-Selwady defended. Al-Selwady responded with a takedown but Radzhabov bounced right back up. Radzhabov turned the heat up and landed a huge right hand over the top planting Al-Selwady! The ref let it go a little too long as Al-Selwady took some unanswered punches that ended in a stoppage.

Loik Radzhabov was the underdog coming into the fight, and definitely proved the oddsmakers wrong at UFC Vegas 87.

Loik Radzhabov def. Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady by KO (punches), round 3, 0:49

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Dana White’s Contender Series found another gem in Poland’s Mateusz Rebecki. Coming into the fight, Rebecki had finished 14 of his 17 victories. However, his UFC debut in January went to decision. His opponent at UFC Jacksonville was Loik Radzhabov, a former PFL title contender coming off a win in his promotional debut.

Mateusz Rebecki started the fight with kick-heavy approach, marching forward against Radzhabov. The low kicks were finding a home, so Radzhabov tried to change things up with a clinch. Rebecki broke free and withstood a punch combination from Radzhabov. Rebecki landed the first takedown of the fight, moving to side control. There was enough space for Radzhabov to spin out from side control and return to the feet, where he was met with several punches from Rebecki. A hard leg kick connected for Rebecki and Radzhabov was on his back again. A straight armbar attempt from Rebecki came up short, but he was in full control of the fight through one round with Radzhabov struggling with his left leg.

Rebecki opened up the second round with a hard leg kick and Radzhabov was wobbled. Rebecki continued pressuring with his opponent in a compromised state. More and more strikes came through at a steady pace from Rebecki until a left hand knocked down Radzhabov and the referee had seen enough punishment.

That's 15 wins in a row for Rebecki 😤 pic.twitter.com/MUUBjDbH9r

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 24, 2023

Rebecki was limping after the fight with a suspected broken foot or toe. A casualty of all the heavy leg kicks he landed throughout the fight.

Mateusz Rebecki def. Loik Radzhabov by TKO (Strikes) in Round 2 (2:36) 

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Radzhabov (17-4-1), a PFL veteran, picked up a unanimous decision win in a back-and-forth fight that saw him rely on his right hand and wrestling to get the job done.

It was an impressive debut for an athlete who was supposed to appear on the upcoming The Ultimate Fighter 31, only to be cut at the last minute. While rumors have swirled that Conor McGregor replaced several TUF fighters with his own teammates, Radzhabov himself isn’t sure what happened.

“I came here for The Ultimate Fighter. I was in the fighter hotel for The Ultimate Fighter fighters. I had quarantined almost two weeks, it was tough. You go in there, you cannot come out, you have to stay inside,” Radzhabov told media outlets including Cageside Press at the T-Mobile Arena following his win on Saturday.

“Whatever reason it is, I don’t know the reason. I was out of it. They told me I’m not going to be part of the show, like the day before. It is what it is. Where I’m from, we have this saying, when one door closes, God opens another door for you. So I’m very happy. They called me on Friday last week, told me I’m in for short notice, and am I going to accept this fight? Without a doubt I told them yes. And here we are. I’m a professional, made weight on point, everything is good, and I’m happy I got the win.”

His performance at UFC 285, expected to be one of the biggest cards of the year, now has the Tajik on the radar. It also has him past the usual debut jitters, and ready to, as he put it, “take over.”

“Any time someone makes his UFC debut, I’m pretty sure they get super-emotional, a little bit excited, and anxious before the fight. That’s what happened to me,” Radzhabov explained. “I just wanted to get it out of my system, make my UFC debut, and from now on, we’re going to go head-hunting. I want everyone in this division to take notice. I’m here, and I’m here to take over.”

Watch the full UFC 285 post-fight media appearance by Loik Radzhabov above.

The post UFC 285’s Loik Radzhabov: “From Now On, We’re Going to Go Head-Hunting” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Esteban Ribovics had won his way into the UFC on Dana White’s Contender Series last year, while PFL veteran Loik Radzhabov, who had been briefly linked to The Ultimate Fighter 31, was instead signed directly to the big show.

The lightweight pairing turned out to be a great way to kick off UFC 285, with both fighters putting on strong performances.

Starting off, Radzhabov landed a big right hand that shook Ribovics. The blow came just seconds into the round, and got the crowd instantly into the fight. He landed another right hand and then got the fight to the ground. Ribovics used a kimura lock to get back to his feet however.

It wasn’t long before Radzhabov got the fight right back down again. Radzhabov threatened to take the back, making Ribovics go to his back. Ribovics got back to his feet, then back down but then right back up. The rounds ended with them on their feet. The takeaway: Radzhabov’s right hand was money.

Some SOLID back and forth to kick off #UFC285 🔥 pic.twitter.com/CYE2ZdvJ9t

— UFC (@ufc) March 4, 2023

Ribovics started round two and landed a left hand that landed clean. Radzhabov responded with another takedown. Radzhabov was getting the fight down, but not keeping Ribovics planted. Radzhabov just crashed the pocket with punches getting in on the legs getting another takedown. Like always Ribovics got back to his feet and went back to work on the feet. Ribovics just could not defend the takedown however, getting taken down for an eighth time inside of two rounds. He got back up and was getting more confident with his hands. Ribovics hurt Radzhabov bad with a body strike then went up top dropping Radzhabov. Desperate, Radzhabov dove in on the legs to survive. Radzhabov started the round well but Ribovics likely stole the round with that sequence at the end.

In the final round, Radzhabov stunned Ribovics with a clubbing right hand. A big knee came later. He had his opponent in danger slightly but Ribovics recovered quickly. It wasn’t long into the round until Radzhabov got another takedown. Ribovics used a beautiful kimura lock to sweep Radzhabov. He even mounted Radzhabov but Radzhabov exploded back up and got another takedown. With a minute left, Ribovics got back to his feet and he hurt Radzhabov with a right hand. Radzhabov kept shooting desperately for the takedowns but this time didn’t get them right at the bell.

In the end, the judges scored it for Radzhabov, awarding him the fight two rounds to one on all three scorecards. On any of the recent Apex cards, this would have been a strong candidate for Fight of the Night.

Official Result: Loik Radzhabov def. Esteban Ribovics by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

The post Loik Radzhabov Wins Thriller Against Esteban Ribovics in UFC 285 Opener appeared first on Cageside Press.

Loik “Jaguar Paw” Radzhabov
Standing at five-foot-eight
Fighting at 155 lbs (lightweight)
32-years-old
Fighting out of Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Training out of Kill Cliff FC
A pro record of 16-4-1
7 KO/TKOs, 5 Submissions

How will Radzhabov fare in the UFC:

It is good to see guys with experience getting into the UFC instead of these young guys with less than five pro fights. Radzhabov was pulled from this coming season of TUF but was brought straight to the UFC instead. Radzhabov is a two-time PFL finalist and has fought some good competition along the way. Good competition, but not great competition. All the fighters he faced in the PFL are former UFC athletes, or fighters who really aren’t UFC-level. He’s 3-3 in his last six so that’s not a good look.

Re-watching Radzhabov it’s hard to be impressed with his skillset. However, while you can’t teach toughness and grit and many people lack it, that’s precisely what Radzhabov has.

Radzhabov has a lot of cage time going the distance nine times in his last twelve fights. That looks like he has an endless gas tank but he actually has a poor gas tank. He slows quickly but is hard to put away being so hardheaded.

Radzhabov is a strong guy physically and that’s shown in the clinch and with his wrestling. Overall, his wrestling at a B— but his top position is very C-level. He has clubbing power hitting hard and visibly affects opponents when landing clean. His striking isn’t bad but he’s wide and lacks the proper setups and technique.

Radzhabov isn’t tough to hit due to his head movement and gas tank. His takedown defense isn’t too good but he does excellent work to get back to his feet. Radzhabov is a little overrated maybe. Not saying he’s bad however — he’ll get some wins in the UFC.

How Radzhabov and Ribovics match up:

Radzhabov is the more experienced fighter, has fought much better competition, and has just seen it all. Ribovics is a good sized underdog and he shouldn’t be. On paper, Radzhabov seems like the clear winner but it’s not that simple. I like the striking of Ribovics much more than Radzhabov. Ribovics has much better technique and hits much harder. Radzhabov will just walk forward but Ribovics can use good footwork and utilize feints well. Ribovics has a variety of striking techniques and uses a lot of angles.

I don’t see this fight spending much time on the mat but I favor the wrestling and grappling of Ribovics. Maybe the experience level will play a part in this fight but I like the underdog in this fight.

The post Welcome to the UFC: Loik Radzhabov appeared first on Cageside Press.

And, of course, one million dollars in prize money awaited the  lightweight tournament champion.

Raush Manfio had something of a storybook season, stepping in as a short-notice replacement, beating all three of his opponents, including Anthony Pettis, and landing in the championship finale. Loik Radzhabov had been here before, only to come up short against Natan Schulte in the 2019 final.

It was Manfio who got going early in Wednesday’s lightweight championship fight, finding a home for his right hand.

Manfio, who had claimed ahead of the fight that the first round would be Radzhabov’s most dangerous, seemed to do everything he could in the early going to ensure the round was his. He held center, forcing Radzhabov to the outside. That right hand landed more than once. Manfio did have to endure a barrage of strikes when Radzhabov charged forward near the midway mark, but the Brazilian weathered the storm. A low kick later spun Radzhabov around, and it seemed to signal a change in approach, as he put the fight, and his oppoent, against the fence, trying to land a takedown with a body lock.

Late in the frame, Radzhabov came forward slinging heavy leather. Manfio ducked under a punch and finished the round with a body lock by the fence.

A heated exchange kicked off round two, as both men pushed down on the gas pedal. Both men would connect; Radzhabov loaded up on a solid punch about 90s seconds in, but Manfio ate it before the pair clinched. That clinch didn’t last, and back at range, they continued to exchange. A kick appeared to trip up Radzhabov just as he was delivering a punch, and Manfio looked to target the limb again shortly after. He’d return to that as the round progressed, and Loik Radzhabov’s mobility appeared hampered, leaving him susceptible to a body kick late in the round.

A clinch opened up the third, with both men landing in close. Manfio’s right hand was in action once again, but Radzhabov was far from done, bullying his opponent back to the cage wall with a flurry of punches. Manfio landed a knee followed by a left hand; Radzhabov hit nothing but air with his counter. He’d find success with a short-lived takedown later in the round, and finish the frame strong, putting Manfio on his heels.

Another hot start in round four saw both men connecting, followed by a takedown by Loik Radzhabov. Manfio immediately escaped up, but Radzhabov connected with a combo, followed by his opponent landing knees and body kicks. Manfio’s right hand backed Radzhabov up, and Loik appeared hurt. Manfio tied up with him, and Radzhabov looked for a takedown but didn’t seem to have the energy let to complete it.

A comparatively fresher Manfio fired knees in the clinch and then went up top with a combo, walking Radzhabov down. More knees in the clinch followed. Each time Radzhabov retreated, Manfio would walk him down and clinch once again. Radzhabov was showing tons of heart, and manged to fire back, only to miss badly. He was beaten and bloodied, but Radzhabov would not go away. He escaped the round, arguably by the skin of his teeth.

Highlights from the 4th round!#PFLChampionship LIVE NOW
🇺🇸 ESPN+
🌍 https://t.co/WfOt9XBfzk pic.twitter.com/Q5MR2JJRye

— PFL (@PFLMMA) October 27, 2021

Round five saw Radzhabov find some extra gas at the bottom of the tank. Manfio would again find success in the clinch, and by the midway mark, Radzhabov was practically stumbling around the smart cage, leg compromised, all but spent. Manfio dug to the body with a punch and followed that with a knee. Radzhabov fired off a spinning kick, but he didn’t have much behind it. They continued to exchange, and Manfio turned up the heat with a minute remaining. In the end they’d go the distance in a grueling and wildly entertaining five-round war.

“This a dream come true,” Manfio exclaimed following the fight, and understandably so. After entering the tournament as a virtual unknown, replacing Olivier Aubin-Mercier, Manfio overcame the odds, and went all the way — just as training partner and friend Natan Schulte had done twice previously.

Radzhabov, meanwhile, goes back to the drawing board after losing his second straight tournament final.

Your PFL 2021 lightweight world champion: Raush Manfio!

Official Result: Raush Manfio def. Loik Radzhabov by unanimous decision (48-46, 48-46, 49-46)

The post PFL Championship 2021 Results: Raush Manfio Finishes Storybook Season With Win Over Loik Radzhabov appeared first on Cageside Press.

Radzhabov (15-3-1) is lined up with Raush Manfio, and admitted at Monday’s PFL 2021 World Championship media day that “I’ll be honest, the last fight, I didn’t feel my best. The way I approached it, I was not fully happy with myself.”

“This time I’m fully ready,” Radzhabov continued. Unlike the feeling ahead of his fight with Alex Martinez over the summer, “I’m happy with the preparations, with the camp, everything was going great, I feel in great shape right now, and I’m really looking forward to Wednesday. I hope to have a very spectacular fight.”

Like many, Radzhabov wasn’t familiar with Manfio prior to this PFL season. Manfio stepped in a a short-notice replacement, earning wins over former UFC champ Anthony Pettis, and former UFC fighter/boxer Clay Collard.

“I don’t know much of him, well I didn’t know much of him before,” Radzhabov said when asked about his foe. “I know he had the same amount of fights that I did. The fight he had with the Brazilian opponent [Joilton Lutterbach], I think he lost that to be honest, but the judges made the decision for whatever reason this way.”

Once Radzhabov knew that Manfio was set as his opponent, he went back and watched more of his upcoming opponent’s fights. “I see shortcomings in his game,” Radzhabov stated. “There are certain things I think he’s not doing great on, and I’m going to take advantage of that.”

Watch the full PFL 2021 World Championship media day appearance from Loik Radzhabov above. More coverage can be found below. The event takes place this Wednesday, October 27, 2021, in Hollywood, FL.

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Cooper anchored the main event opposite former UFC contender and Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald at PFL Playoffs 1 on Friday night in Hollywood, Florida. A fight that promised fireworks on paper, the end result saw Cooper rely on his wrestling to control MacDonald on the ground, leading to a one-sided decision in what can arguably be seen as Cooper’s biggest win to date.

When he enters the finale this October (a change from the usual New Year’s Eve show), Ray Cooper III will be meeting a familiar face. Magomed Magomedkerimov, who defeated Cooper in the 2018 welterweight finale, punched his own ticket to the finals on Friday with a win over short-notice replacement Sadibou Sy.

Friday’s card also saw the lightweight semifinals go down, with Raush Manfio continuing his inspiring run through the PFL season with a win over Clay Collard. Manfio came into the league earlier this year as a short-notice fighter, and now has a chance at a million dollars against Loik Radzhabov.

The PFL Playoffs 1 card opened with a pair of thrilling stoppages, including a leg kick TKO by Michael Lombardo. Full results and a gallery of highlights can be found below.

PFL Playoffs 1: Cooper III vs. MacDonald Results

Ray Cooper III def. Rory MacDonald by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)  — welterweight semifinal
Magomed Magomedkerimov def. Sadibou Sy by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) — welterweight semifinal
Raush Manfio def. Clay Collard by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) — lightweight semifinal
Loik Radzhabov def. Alexander Martinez by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) — lightweight semifinal

Preliminary card

Gleison Tibau def. Micah Terrill by technical submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 1, 2:18
Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Darrell Horcher by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-26, 29-27)
Brett Cooper def. Tyler Hill by knockout, Round 1, 2:32
Magomed Umalatov def. Leandro Silva by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Michael Lombardo def. Kyron Bowen by TKO (leg kicks), Round 1, 3:42
Elvin Espinoza def. Hopeton Stewart by technical submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:45

The post PFL Playoffs 1: Cooper III vs. MacDonald Photo Highlights appeared first on Cageside Press.

Natan Schulte was one of two fighters looking to repeat as champion in the PFL 2019 championship. Schulte last lost in 2017, and had won every single bout since the WSOF had become the Professional Fighters League. He looked to continue that streak in the lightweight finale on New Year’s Eve, where he took on Loik Radzhabov at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

A million dollars was on the line at the finale in New York — a second million, in fact, for Brazil’s Schulte. Lance Palmer had become the first two-time PFL champion earlier in the night, and Schulte was looking to join him.

Getting off to a fast start, both Schulte and Radzhabov traded leg kicks. Radzhabov then targeted the body, and was mixing up his strikes rather well. That forced Schulte to retreat, something rarely seen throughout the PFL’s 2019 season. Schulte took a left, and answered with a front kick. Radzhabov’s leg kick, however, had more on it. Radzhabov would fan on an uppercut, and the takeaway from the opening minute was that he had the clear edge in power.

Schulte, however, soon stunned Radzhabov with a right hand! Radzhabov practically froze for a moment, which allowed Schulte to go on the attack, backing him up. Radzhabov survived only to be taken down. With Schulte unable to make much happen on top, Radzhabov was able to escape back up. But after a strong start to the round, things were rather close heading to the second. Radzhabov rallied late, but Schulte had the biggest moment of the frame.

In the second, Radzhabov and Schulte went right to work. And after a minute of grappling, battling and trading, Radzhabov began connecting more and more often. Schulte was covering up, staying active, but more than a few strikes found their way through his guard. Schulte opted to take the fight down, but couldn’t keep Radzhabov there. Instead, Schulte was backed up, eating blows to body and head. Radzhabov was landing well in close, and a huge uppercut rocked Schulte. He ate a few more, and with half the round remaining, was in a dangerous predicament. The durability and heart of Natan Schulte could not be questioned, as he continued to fight on while under fire for a good portion of the round.

Schulte looked exhausted at the end of the second. He’d need to find a second wind with three rounds remaining. Radzhabov immediately fired to open the third. He continued to rip the body while mixing up strikes to the head. Schulte stayed with him, but his counters were less effective, and there were less of them. Radzhabov changed levels for a takedown, but changed his mind quickly. Early in the round, Radzhabov’s total arm strikes had tripled Schulte’s. With over half the bout remaining, that did not bode well for the defending champion. However, as the round wore on, Radzhabov appeared to have slowed a step. Schulte was pressing forward, still throwing. Still landing leg kicks. A late kick low seemed to hurt Radzhabov, nearly tripping him up. Schulte took advantage, teeing off on him! Moments later he got Radzhabov to the ground and got in mount, but with only seconds left in the round, there wasn’t enough time to capitalize.

Radzhabov came out looking for a takedown early in round four. Schulte fought it off, and whether the leg kick late in the third was an issue for Radzhabov remained a question. Another kick from Schulte dropped Radzhabov to the mat, and Schulte moved right into mount again. This time, he had over three minutes remaining. Schulte began looking for the arm-triangle choke, though Radzhabov was hip to his attempts. Radzhabov was able to break free, but another leg kick nearly dropped him again. Schulte was catching up in total strikes, and was well ahead in terms of leg kicks. The fight was soon back on the ground, and with Radzhabov’s legs looking like those of a baby deer, that was likely going to happen often. This time Schulte worked on a guillotine, without much success. Radzhabov would later attempt his own, with similar results.

The fifth round had Radzhabov on wobbly legs, looking to stay out of range of Schulte’s kicks. The Brazilian, however, was in the driver’s seat. Radzhabov drove forward for a single leg attempt, and managed to briefly get Schulte down. A scramble saw them move back up. Radzhabov managed to pop off a few uppercuts, landing each one. When they went down again, Radzhabov managed to get into side control. Schulte would break free, and use his wrestling to stay in control for the time that remained, finishing the fight on top.

A closely contested bout, with a ton of heart on display by both fighters. In the end, the judges awarded the bout to Natan Schulte, making him a two-time lightweight champion in the PFL! For the second year in a row, he takes home one million dollars.

Official Result: Natan Schulte def. Loik Radzhabov by unanimous decision (49-44, 49-46, 48-47)

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