Loik Radzhabov thought his TKO of Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady was stopped late: ‘I could hear him snore, literally – he made the noise’
LAS VEGAS – Loik Radzhabov beat Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady with a third-round knockout Saturday to open the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 238 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Radzhabov, who got back in the win column after a knockout loss in June 2023.
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs. Loik Radzhabov
Result: Loik Radzhabov def. Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady via knockout (punches) – Round 3, 0:49
Updated records: Radzhabov (18-5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Al-Selwady (15-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stats: Radzhabov’s finish was his first by knockout since June 2021.
Radzhabov on the fight's key moment
“I made a small mistake between the first and second rounds in the corner, and that caused me to lose the second round. When I came back after the second round, the plan was to finish the fight quickly. That’s what happened. The third round, we got the job done.”
THAT RIGHT HAND WAS CLEAN 💥 #UFCVegas87 pic.twitter.com/6J4Dq1A3tG
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 2, 2024
Radzhabov on a perceived late stoppage
“If you watch the replay, I hurt his equilibrium. When that happens, anybody can go out – especially when I touch the person. I hit very hard. I know this. So the moment he got dropped, he was out already. But when I was punching him, I could hear him snore, literally – he made the noise. But unfortunately, in this business, I can’t stop punching until the ref stops me because he could get up and then the fight could go against me. So I did what I had to do. I feel bad about it, but it is what it is. But he was out for sure when he got dropped.”
Radzhabov on what he wants next
“(I want to fight again at the) end of May or June.”
To hear more from Radzhabov, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 238.
