{"id":38034,"date":"2026-05-01T00:11:43","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T00:11:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sherdog.com\/news\/news\/Expectations-build-as-Aleksandr-Chizov-preps-for-PFL-Sioux-Falls-comain-event-201019"},"modified":"2026-05-01T00:11:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T00:11:43","slug":"expectations-build-as-aleksandr-chizov-preps-for-pfl-sioux-falls-co-main-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/expectations-build-as-aleksandr-chizov-preps-for-pfl-sioux-falls-co-main-event\/","title":{"rendered":"Expectations build as Aleksandr Chizov preps for PFL Sioux Falls co-main event"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n

Aleksandr
\nChizov<\/a> achieved his highest level of success in the
\nProfessional Fighters League<\/a> when he won the PFL Europe
\nlightweight tournament in December and picked up two finishes
\nduring his three-fight run to the title. It was only a matter of
\ntime before the powers that be brought him onto the global
\nroster.<\/p>\n

The 28-year-old Latvian gets a major step up in that regard when he
\ntakes on Gadzhi
\nRabadanov<\/a> in the
\nPFL Sioux Falls<\/a> co-main event on Saturday at the Sanford
\nPentagon in South Dakota. Rabadanov was a 2024 PFL tournament
\nwinner and marches into the match with victories in 12 of his past
\n13 appearances. It serves as stern challenge for Chizov.<\/p>\n

\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A world class
\nwelterweight clash headlines PFL Sioux Falls: Tune in Saturday, May
\n2 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m feeling great,\u201d he told Sherdog.com. \u201cFor me, it\u2019s a dream
\ncome true. Since day one when I started to compete in MMA, I wanted
\nto fight in the United States. Listen, I am from Latvia. It\u2019s a
\nsmall country in Europe, [and] 99% of people don\u2019t even know this
\ncountry exists, so for me, being able to represent this country
\nwhile fighting in the States is a dream come true. I\u2019m excited.
\nThis will be my fourth fight in a year\u2019s time for me. I am active,
\nand I appreciate the PFL giving me this chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chizov\u2019s rise to prominence seems unlikely in hindsight, as he
\nmerely sought out MMA as a means to clean up his act as a
\nteenager.<\/p>\n

Comfortable in underdog role<\/h2>\n

\u201cIf somebody would\u2019ve told me 10 years ago that I would be a
\nprofessional fighter competing in the highest level in MMA against
\nsome Dagestan guy, I\u2019d think they had me confused with someone
\nelse,\u201d he said. \u201cI grew up on the streets, doing bad stuff,
\ndrinking alcohol, smoking, no discipline, and I only started
\ntraining MMA to get respect on the streets and get girls to like
\nme. I didn\u2019t have ambitions to be a professional athlete.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I told my parents this is what I wanted, they didn\u2019t know
\nwhat MMA was,\u201d Chizov added. \u201cWhen I quit school, the teacher asked
\nme what I wanted to do. I said become MMA world champion, and that
\nwas hard to even imagine, so I\u2019ve been dealing with this my entire
\nlife and career. I\u2019ll be a big underdog going up against a guy from
\nDagestan. He\u2019s a favorite. He\u2019s a former champion, but this is
\nnothing new to me.\u201d<\/p>\n