Video: PFL’s Gadzhi Rabadanov, Marc Diakiese Have Intense Interaction

Can we fast forward to Friday Night 👀🔜

2024 PFL Lightweight World Champion Gadzhi Rabadanov and Marc Diakiese wasted no time in letting each other know how they feel in their first faceoff ahead of Friday 🍿

Advertisement

[ #PFLWorldTournament | Friday, April 18th | 📺 7PM EST | ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/8f1ivtHE7W

— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 16, 2025

There will be no shortage of fireworks heading into the Professional Fighters League lightweight and middleweight tournaments this weekend, two of the most anticipated divisions in this year’s tournament. In one of the premier lightweight tournament matchups, 2024 PFL lightweight champion Gadzhi Rabadanov will face Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Marc Diakiese, who signed with the promotion last year and made his debut with a victory over Tim Wilde at Bellator Champions Series.

Ahead of their first-round matchup this Friday in Orlando, Florida, the two met face-to-face for the first time and there was a loud back-and-forth verbal exchange between both sides.

Responding to the champion and telling him to shut up and that there are “levels to the game,” Diakiese was quick to inform Rabadanov that for a Russian fighter, he can’t wrestle, and he gets tired quickly. The interaction would continue in the concourse after their face-to-face meeting, with Rabadanov getting the last word, telling Diakiese he will knock him out.

Fighters only get one shot! Watch the PFL World Tournament LIVE Friday, April 18 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+.

The middleweight and lightweight brackets should provide some of the most exciting action of PFL’s World Tournament. Already through two events, there have been several upsets and exciting performances throughout, and this weekend is surely to deliver as well. Of the eight weight divisions that are in the tournament this year, Rabadanov is the lone champion from the 2024 regular season who is competing in the tournament.

Last season, the veteran picked up decision victories against Solomon Renfro and Elvin Espinoza to clinch a spot in the playoffs. Rabadanov would then go on to get a second-round finish of Michael Dufort and a third round TKO stoppage on Brent Primus in the crowning match.

Diakiese is a longtime veteran of the sport and is clearly not fazed by his opponent’s accolades and the anticipation around their tilt only intensified with the two coming face-to-face.