Mehdi Dakaev thinks he’s done everything necessary to earn his spot in the big leagues.
Dakaev (14-2), Eagle FC’s reigning and defending lightweight champion, is coming off an incredible flying punch knockout of Makkasharip Zaynukov at Eagle FC 43 in December.
The finish marked 26-year-old Dakaev’s seventh straight win, but it was also his first stoppage since April 2019. It wasn’t just any kind of finish, though, as Dakaev’s highlight-reel knockout went viral, making him happy to eliminate any notion that he’s a point fighter.
“Before the fight, a lot of people were saying Mehdi Dakaev doesn’t have enough power to finish the fight,” Dakaev told MMA Junkie. “He’s just a fighter that tries to score points. I don’t know why, but I was 100 percent sure I could finish this fight by knockout.”
Like many Russian fighters, competing in the U.S. won’t be easy for Dakaev. The Chechnya-born, France-based fighter is currently working on his visa and hopes to get the opportunity to compete in the U.S. some day. But for now, Dakaev’s goal is to either fill in as a short-notice replacement for the UFC’s March London card or get a spot on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.
“I want the next step to be Bellator or the UFC,” Dakaev said. “For now, I’m focused on the countries which I can fight in – Abu Dhabi, England, Brazil. I really want to clean the lightweight division.”
He continued, “Right now I’m open for any availabilities in Bellator or the UFC, especially the UFC.”
Dakaev has fought elite-level competition throughout his Eagle FC tenure. His experience has him primed for the UFC’s top 15 lightweights, and he has no doubts that he belongs there.
“The UFC’s top 10 is a good level, it’s competitive,” Dakaev said. “But if we’re talking outside the top 10, there are some big names, and I know they’ve had some big fights in the past three years, but I think I have a place in the top 10, top 15. I can replace whoever in the rankings.”
He continued, “I beat all the fighters that challenged me for the title, and there’s no one left for me to defend my title against, and that’s why I want to move on from there, and that’s why I want to have a contract with a U.S-based promotion. The fighters I’ve defended my title against are Bellator and UFC level, and the guys I’ve beat have fought there, so why can’t I do better than them?”
