Gadzhi Rabadanov has been a mainstay in the Professional Fighters League's lightweight division for the past two years, competing in back-to-back tournaments and capturing the 2024 PFL Season title. But despite his success, the former champion isn't chasing a title shot—at least not in the way you might expect.

After falling short in last year's championship bout against Alfie Davis, Rabadanov is ready to hit the reset button. With the PFL moving away from the tournament format and introducing a new division ranking system, the Russian fighter is focused on rediscovering his best self rather than rushing back to the top.

Rabadanov returns to action on May 2 at PFL Sioux Falls, headlining the co-main event against former PFL Europe champion Aleksandr Chizov. It's a high-stakes matchup that could set the stage for his path back to contention—but Rabadanov is taking the long view.

"I'm excited; after I had surgery, I rested, recovered and now I'm very healthy," Rabadanov told Sherdog.com. "I'm very excited to be back in the cage again. I think the time off since my last fight has helped me. In the last two years, it was so hard. A lot of fighting, a lot of weight cutting, and now eight months after surgery, I'm back and it's helped me. I feel good, I feel rested and I'm ready. I'm hungry like I was before."

Rabadanov surprised many by entering the tournament again last year after winning the 2024 lightweight crown. But for him, it was about proving his greatness on the biggest stage. Now that the tournament era is over, he's grateful for the experience—but relieved to be able to move at his own pace.

"It was a good experience for me, but it was so hard," he said. "If the PFL did this again, I would not come back to the tournament again. The last two years, I had to kill myself to stay active, I was killing my body, it was so hard. I want to say thank you to the PFL, because I got to stay very busy over the last two years. I got to make plenty of money and I got plenty of experience. This was a big experience for me and the success I had as well. I stay thankful to the PFL and their entire team."

When it comes to Chizov, Rabadanov isn't taking anything for granted. He's done his homework on the PFL Europe champion and expects a battle.

"Chizov is a very good opponent, he's a good fighter," Rabadanov said. "He has good boxing, good striking and he became the PFL Europe champion. He's tough. I watched his fights; he's a very good opponent for me but I think I'm much more prepared."

For fans and fighters alike, this new chapter in Rabadanov's career is a reminder that sometimes the best path forward isn't the fastest one—it's the smartest.