Dorobshokh Nabotov is his name.
That’s the 25-year-old, undefeated fighter from Tajikistan who stole the show at the UFC 308 presser in Abu Dhabi when he asked Dana White for an opportunity to be a short-notice fighter for the promotion.
Surprisingly, White called him on stage and pointed him to his team members, obliging the bold young man’s push to join the organization. The moment went viral in the MMA community. In case you missed it, here it is.
Later, in an interview with TMZ, White confirmed he would allow Nabotov to earn a UFC contract on an upcoming episode of Dana White Lookin’ For a Fight in Korea.
It’s a charming story, almost too perfect in some ways. The reporter for TMZ even asked White if the whole thing was set up. Uncrowned’s Ariel Helwani explained how it could have been a work and likened the situation to the famous Santino Marella spot from WWE.
As cool as it was, you must wonder if White opened some unwanted floodgates. We’ve seen fans at UFC events get increasingly audacious when they are given the microphone to ask White and fighters questions.
Nabotov was there on business, and you have to respect his hustle. However, how many other fighters who may not have a resume close to Nabotov’s will be encouraged to try to do the same thing?
It’s the kind of scene that could get old quickly.
While many will be interested in the upcoming Lookin’ For a Fight to see how well Nabotov does, I don’t think anyone wants to see a line of guys and girls who aren’t in the UFC using the pressers like the open auditions at American Idol.
If it was a work, it was an ingenious way to introduce an up-and-coming fighter. Every major publication did a piece because of how viral the moment was. Because Nabotov doesn’t speak much English, this might have been the perfect way to have him stand out in a mixed martial arts world with mounds of top-notch young fighters from his region of the world.
In any case, other aspiring fighters will see this and now believe this is an approach they can take to get White’s attention. While not nearly as annoying as the drunk guy attempting to antagonize his favorite fighter’s upcoming opponent or the foul-mouthed pre-teen badly in need of proper parental supervision, fighters pleading for a shot in the UFC at pressers is the latest piece of proof the organization needs to regulate these events.
It was cute the first time but won’t be the next five.
If you’re wondering about how good Nabotov is, the answer is he looks like the real deal.
He’s 7-0 with three finishes in his career and if he gets the win on LFAF, he’ll immediately be one of the most promising lightweights on the roster.
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