Nabotov’s UFC 308 Press-Conference Stunt Earns Contract
Dorobshokh Nabotov’s appeal to Dana White at the UFC 308 press conference led to a Z-Fight Night bout against Matheus Camilo on December 14, 2024. Camilo won and earned the UFC contract; Nabotov did not. The fight happened on December 14, 2024. Camilo won and earned the UFC contract; Nabotov did not. MMA Fighting reported on the bout and contract.
Nabotov’s UFC 308 Appeal
At the UFC 308 pre-fight press conference in Abu Dhabi on October 24, 2024, Tajikistan lightweight Nabotov asked UFC CEO Dana White for a chance to compete in the promotion. White arranged for Nabotov to fight Brazilian prospect Matheus Camilo at Z-Fight Night 2 in Goyang, South Korea, with the opportunity to impress the UFC on the line. MMA Fighting covered White’s invitation.
Camilo Won the Opportunity
Camilo defeated Nabotov by unanimous decision on December 14, 2024. White watched remotely as part of Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight, and awarded Camilo a UFC contract after the bout. Z-Fight Night’s Nabotov record lists the unanimous-decision loss, while MMA Fighting reported that Camilo earned the contract. Nabotov’s attention-getting request brought him the tryout, but it was Camilo who converted the matchup into a UFC deal.
Camilo’s UFC Results Through October 2026
Camilo lost his UFC debut to Gabe Green by second-round rear-naked choke in May 2025. He earned his first Octagon win over Viacheslav Borshchev by unanimous decision at UFC 322 in November 2025, then stopped Nazim Sadykhov by first-round TKO in June 2026. Most recently, Jai Herbert beat Camilo by unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 122 on October 10, 2026. Camilo’s official UFC profile records his UFC results, and the official scorecards confirm the Herbert decision.
Nabotov Continued on the Regional Circuit
Nabotov returned to regional competition after the Camilo loss. He stopped Mauricio Otalora in September 2025, then lost a unanimous decision to Michal Figlak at Fight Nation Championship 31 on May 30, 2026. Nabotov’s Sherdog record lists those results. The UFC contract awarded from the ZFN bout went to Camilo.
