Press conferences for the Ultimate Fighting Championship are often quite dull, but today the UFC 308 presser in Abu Dhabi was host to a never-before-seen occurrence.
After a few media members and fans had already focused on Dana White rather than the fighters, a self-identified fighter from Tajikistan with a 9-0 professional mixed martial arts record followed suit.
Dorobshokh Nabotov, listed by the record-keeping website Tapology as being 7-0, chose to be bold and directly addressed the boss, asking Dana for a chance in the UFC in faltering English as he read from his phone.
White was clearly baffled for a moment, before seeming to decide, ‘Why not?’ and beckoning the kid to the stage with his hand
An “elite athlete from Tajikistan” with a 9-0 MMA record asks if he can be in the UFC at the UFC 308 press conference. Dana says come here, shakes his hand, and sends him backstage. Guy read his lines off his phone.
Wonder if he’s actually 9-0. pic.twitter.com/1aoracl9Tg
— Val Dewar (flyweight enjoyer) (@the3els) October 24, 2024
Dana White shook the kid’s hand and sent him backstage, presumably to speak with someone else who works for the company while the press conference continued.
The CEO did ask the kid why he was not on the Contender Series, which just ended, so perhaps he will not give him a fight with the UFC straight away but rather make him wait until next summer.
However, the matchmakers always keep a list of regional fighters who can be called up at short notice if a UFC fight in their weight class falls through. The Tajik fighter begged for a short notice opportunity, so it is likely we will see Nabotov in the UFC in the coming months.
This will be an interesting story to look back on if his career reaches the next level, the fighter who changed his life forever by asking for what he wanted in front of the whole world at a press conference. There was every chance he would be embarassed, but Dorobshokh did it anyways.
Fighting opponents at the UFC level will be a new challenge entirely, however. We will find out if Dorobshokh Nabotov is up to the challenge.
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