Armed with an impressive resume and one of the best nicknames in
the sport, Abdoul
Abdouraguimov plots his return to the
Professional Fighters League.
“The Lazy King” will take on Kendly St.
Louis in a
PFL Dubai “Nurmagomedov vs. Davis” welterweight attraction on
Saturday at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where
he draws his first assignment since December 2024. Abdouraguimov
was originally scheduled to meet Magomed
Umalatov but had no issues with the change in opponent.
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“First of all, I’m grateful to have the opportunity to fight in
Dubai,” he told Sherdog.com. “You know, I took the chance. They
proposed Umalatov to me and I said, ‘Yes, I have the chance to be
at the top.’ In life, you have to take risks, but he didn’t want to
fight this guy. Umalatov didn’t want to fight me. They came to me,
[and] I took the risk. So now, I don’t have Umalatov, but I am at
the top, so everything is good. In my career, I never scheduled my
own fights. I want to fight here in Dubai. I accepted what was
there for me, so for me, if I can fight more, I’m going to fight
more. I don’t choose. I take what there is.”
Abdouraguimov has grown accustomed to adjusting on the fly. He
chooses not to alter his preparation nor his strategy, placing his
focus beyond any specific opponent. “On my game plan, it doesn’t change because no matter who’s in
front of me, there’s no secret,” Abdouraguimov said. “I’m going to
go for my wrestling and grappling game. Nothing has really changed.
I always accept any challenge. My goal is not Umalatov or some name
specifically. My goal is the belt, so if I need to go through him
to go to the belt, OK, let’s go. If they’re going to give me the
chance for the belt after this fight, it’s good for me. I’m always
looking to fight the best in front of me, to be the best, because
that’s the fight game.”
Two World Title Fights
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Abdouraguimov remains committed to running his race as a marathon,
not a sprint.
‘A Lot of Bigger Mountains to Climb’
“The martial arts journey is not a short journey,” he said. “It’s a
long-term journey, so you don’t become a master just in a few
years. You need 10, 15, 20 years or even more. Now, I’m seeing even
more, because after 14 years of practice, I’m a black belt, but I
now understand. When you come to the top, you see, ‘Hey, there are
other mountains.’ I thought the mountain I was climbing was big,
but now at the top I see, man, there are a lot of bigger mountains
to climb, so the journey never ends. My goal is to really become a
martial art master. I’m not already there yet, but that’s my
goal.”
Being featured at the PFL’s first event of 2026 provides
Abdouraguimov with another opportunity to prove he belongs in the
promotion’s spotlight. The 30-year-old former two-division
Ares Fighting Championship titleholder and onetime
Brave Combat Federation champion has rattled off nine straight
wins.
“Anything can happen, but my main goal is to concentrate on myself
already, to do this fight step by step,” Abdouraguimov said.
“What’s going to come is going to come. Don’t forget, there are
also other fighters that are also good, so anyone can be the face.
I’m not looking to be the face of anything. If I can be the face of
myself, it’s already enough. With this change of the PFL without
the tournament, I like it more. Now, I can win and go for the title
in the classic old-school style, [by] going up the rankings, and
so, my goal is that. First step is to win this fight and then let’s
see [what] I’m ready for. If I win this, I want to [go] for the
title.”