Tajikistani fighter Dorobshokh Nabotov seized the opportunity at a UFC 308 press conference to ask Dana White for a chance to fight in the UFC, leading to an invitation to compete in an upcoming Z Fight Night event in South Korea.
Fighters are constantly vying for Dana White’s attention. But one athlete in Abu Dhabi might’ve just pulled off something memorable.
Tajikistan’s Dorobshokh Nabotov seized his moment at the UFC 308 pre-fight press conference. He asked White for a short-notice fight, then got invited on stage to shake hands with the UFC CEO. Bold move, right?
Check out their interaction below.
“Dana, I don’t have a question,” Nabotov declared from the stands, usually reserved for media and fans. “I come here for fight on short notice. No manager, just me. Please give me a chance, Dana, I want to fight in UFC. I’m ready.”
White quizzed him on his age (25), record (8-0 according to Sherdog, though Nabotov claims 9-0), and weight class (lightweight). Curious why he wasn’t in the latest Contender Series, White asked, “Where were you on the Contender Series?”
“I’m ready,” Nabotov replied passionately. “Give me a chance, please. Doesn’t matter, UFC.”
In a crowd-pleasing moment, Nabotov was invited to step on stage and greet White briefly. The crowd loved it.
Later, White told TMZ Sports that although Nabotov won’t be signed immediately, he’ll get a shot at an upcoming Z Fight Night event in Goyang, South Korea, on Dec. 14. This promotion is backed by former UFC star “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung.
Jung promotes the event as part of White’s Dana White Lookin’ for a Fight series. In this series, White scouts smaller MMA shows for potential signings.
As of now, Nabotov’s opponent remains unannounced. His involvement hasn’t been officially confirmed by Z Fight Night yet. Fingers crossed!