UFC fighters have a long history of making controversial, sometimes downright offensive comments, and at this point, it’s hardly shocking. But every now and then, karma steps in to deliver a reality check.
That’s exactly what happened to Loik Radzhabov, who boldly claimed that women’s fights in the UFC are nothing more than bathroom breaks for him. Unfortunately for Radzhabov, the universe had other plans—he ended up getting beaten at the very same event where he made those remarks.
During a pre-fight interview on July 20, 2024, at UFC on ESPN: Lemos vs. Jandiroba, Radzhabov was asked what he made of women’s MMA and who he had for the main event.
To this, he replied, “Well, I don’t watch it no matter who is fighting. Actually, when women fight, I take a break to get some snacks or go to the toilet.”
Then came the time to pay the piper. Despite a strong start, Radzhabov struggled to maintain momentum as the fight progressed. Ogden’s strategic approach and effective counterattacks led to a unanimous decision victory, with judges scoring the bout 29–28, 29–28, and 30–27 in Ogden’s favor.
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What is interesting to note is that on the same night, while he lost his fight on the judges’ scorecards, the main event between Lemos and Jandiroba ended in a finish after the latter secured an arm bar in the second round of the fight.
Women’s MMA has long been disrespected by male fighters. In an interview from last year, former middleweight champion Sean Strickland had gone on one of his more sexist tirades about women’s sports in general, claiming nobody watched the WNBA.
He then turned his attention to MMA and said, “Sure, have women’s MMA, have it be a thing. I don’t like to watch it. I don’t think most people like to watch it. If the female MMA was to separate from the male MMA no-one’s going to watch that s***.”
MMA as an organized sport is a new phenomenon that has only been explored in the last 20 years. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that it has a long way to go before truly accepting women as marquee athletes.
That said, despite systemic inequalities, women have come a long way in the last decade, transforming from a niche segment into a mainstream attraction within the UFC.
Women’s evolution in the UFC
This evolution was significantly propelled by trailblazers like Ronda Rousey, who not only became the first female fighter signed by the UFC in 2012 but also served as the inaugural women’s bantamweight champion. Her dominance and charisma shattered preconceived notions about women’s roles in combat sports, leading UFC President Dana White to famously retract his earlier stance that women would “never” compete in the UFC.
The momentum continued as the UFC expanded its female roster, introducing multiple weight classes and showcasing high-caliber athletes such as Amanda Nunes, Valentina Shevchenko, and Zhang Weili. These fighters have headlined major events, drawing substantial pay-per-view audiences and proving that women’s bouts can be as thrilling and commercially successful as men’s.
While the sport in general, or the UFC, haven’t specifically taken any prominent steps to ensure equality among the genders, the popularity of the sport has skyrocketed with women becoming stars in their own right. Hopefully, this upward trend continues.
