Loik Radzhabov is not a fan of women’s MMA.
The 18-5-1 standout from Tajikistan made his Octagon debut last year at UFC 285 and earned a unanimous decision over Esteban Ribovics. This Saturday night, he’ll look to add another big win to his resume when he meets Trey Ogden at a Fight Night event in Las Vegas.
Just don’t expect him to stick around for the main event.
“Well, I don’t watch it no matter who’s fighting,” Radzhabov responded when asked about the July 20 headliner between Amanda Lemos and Virna Jandiroba. “When women fight, I take a break to get some snacks or go to the toilet.”
Pretty interesting talk for a fighter with a 4-4-1 record under the PFL banner and a second-round knockout loss against Mateusz R?becki on MMA’s biggest stage.
Loik Radzhabov isn’t the first fighter to disparage women’s mMA
It’s certainly not the first time a fighter has expressed their disdain for the inclusion of women in the sport. During a Q&A session, former lightweight world champion Khabib Nurmagomedov encouraged aspiring female fighters to “be a fighter inside your home” and to “finish your husband” instead of pursuing a career in the cage.
And don’t even get ‘The Eagle’ started on ring card girls.
Though his comments were undeniably disgusting, they’re not all that surprising considering Nurmagomedov hails from Russia, a country with a long history of treating women like property rather than as individuals.
Of course, critical comments about women’s MMA are not exclusive to foreign fighters. Last year, Sean Strickland found himself beefing with much of the female roster after he declared that “women’s MMA is lame” during a brief, but intense rivalry with Paige VanZant.
Valentina Shevchenko was quick to put ‘Tarzan’ in his place.