Fighters in the Russian neighborhood may be the closest to Sean Strickland when it comes to controversial comments on women in Dana White’s UFC. ‘The Tajik Tank’ Loik Radzhabov recently stood out for his opinion on female MMA. His comments are making headlines across the internet. Here is what happened:
Loik Radzhabov will feature this July at UFC Vegas 94. This Fight Night will be headlined by the women’s strawweight main event between Amanda Lemos and Virna Jandiroba. During a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, Radzhabov was asked about female MMA in general as he is fighting on the undercard of Lemos vs. Jandiroba. The Tajikistani had an interesting response that went viral on the internet.
Actually, when women fight I take a break to get some snacks or go to the toilet.
Loik Radzhabov on Red Corner MMA
UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov had faced significant backlash for similar comments on ring girls and female MMA fighters. It is important to note that such comments from fighters like Nurmagomedov and Radzhabov have been born and raised in conservative communities. Therefore, their comments should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Loik Radzhabov will take on Trey Ogden in a lightweight clash at the upcoming UFC Fight Night in Vegas. The 33-year-old Tajikistani fighter boasts a professional record of 18-5-1. He made his debut last year at UFC 285 and since then has won two of his three UFC fights. His opponent Trey Ogden has been in the UFC longer with a professional record of 17-6 and 1 no contest with 5 UFC fights under his belt.
When Dana White declared that women would never fight in the UFC
Dana White’s infamously made a controversial statement back in 2011. During an interview with TMZ, the UFC CEO declared that women would “never” fight in the UFC. The UFC’s head honcho implied that he did not see women’s MMA fitting into the UFC’s future. At the time, women’s MMA was gaining popularity, but it had not broken into mainstream MMA promotions like the UFC yet.
Dana White said women will never fight in the UFC (Image via Imago)White’s comment was met with significant criticism and pushback. Fans and fighters believed in the potential and talent of female fighters which ultimately marked the rise of Ronda Rousey. In 2012, the UFC signed Rousey as its first female fighter, and she became the inaugural UFC Women’s bantamweight champion. This move marked a significant shift in the promotion’s approach to women’s MMA.
The promotion eventually included multiple women’s weight classes which gave rise to top female talent like Amanda Nunes, Valentina Shevchenko, and Kayla Harrison. Dana White has since acknowledged that his earlier statement was wrong, often citing Ronda Rousey’s impact as a key factor in changing his perspective on women’s MMA.
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