"All love stories have a sad ending" - Fans react as Dorobshokh Nabotov, the Dana White-backed fighter, loses ZFN debut and a shot at UFC deal

It wasn’t quite the fairytale ending for Dorobshokh Nabotov, the Tajikistani lightweight who grabbed headlines by boldly pitching his case for a UFC contract at the UFC 308 press conference. UFC CEO Dana White handed him a golden opportunity to showcase his talents, but his journey met a bitter setback.

Check out the video of Dorobshokh Nabotov at the UFC 308 press conference below:

The 25-year-old competed under UFC legend Chan Sung Jung's fight banner at Z Fight Night 2 in South Korea with the promise of a UFC deal on the horizon. However, he faced a tough challenge against 23-year-old Matheus Camillo, whose striking precision and pressure exposed gaps in his opponent’s arsenal.

Nabotov lost the fight via unanimous decision, and his professional record now stands at 8-1.

Fans took to X to react to Nabotov's loss and wrote:

"All love stories have a sad ending."

"At least he reached for his dreams and tried. Much better than most people who decide to never chase their own dreams."

"Oh well. He shot his shot. No one ever got anywhere by sitting on the sidelines."

"He got a one in a million shot at the UFC and still fumbled it."

"He thought it was gonna be a breeze."

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans react to Dorobshokh Nabotov losing his ZFN debut. [Screenshots courtesy: @ChampRDS on X]

Before the loss at Z Fight Night 2, the Dana White-backed fighter boasted an impressive professional record of 8-0. His resume included notable wins, including a unanimous decision against Murad Bilarov at AMC Fight Nights 122 and a first-round ninja choke submission triumph over Sanzhar Azhibaev at Ural FC 1.

The 25-year-old has three knockouts and one submission win under his belt. He also holds an amateur MMA record of 8-3.