Bellator Grand Prix finalist Alexandr Shabliy, in an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net, discussed the interest from the UFC towards him.
"We are not in negotiations, but the UFC approached me after the fight with Pitbull. The UFC is somewhat a thing of the past for me. I knocked on their door, and they said, 'Yes, we will sign you'. But it took them way too long. In the end, I accepted Bellator's offer. Now they are the ones reaching out to me. I don't know why? We have the Grand Prix. Is there a possibility for me to leave now that PFL bought Bellator? I don't know. Right now, I'm not interested in that. The UFC rarely approaches anyone themselves. They have shown their interest," Shabliy said.
I actually said to the PFL management, 'Either you give me a contract, or I leave'. But I said it in the heat of the moment. I understand that the championship belt is close. I need to make one final leap and leave for the UFC in this situation... I understand that many people won't understand why I'm staying with Bellator. But the UFC is no longer a step up for me, not a mountain that is impossible to conquer. I trained with top-10 guys. Half of them won't fight me. I'll make it to the top 10, and they won't fight me. I’ll make no progress.
Shabliy's last fight was against Patricio Freire in November 2023 at Bellator 301. In this match, Alexandr won by unanimous decision. He has 24 wins and three losses to his name.
