Latest news with #Fiziev
USA Today
25-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC books Rafael Fiziev vs. Ignacio Bahamondes for Azerbaijan debut event
UFC books Rafael Fiziev vs. Ignacio Bahamondes for Azerbaijan debut event [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] and [autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag] aren't wasting much time getting back into the cage as the UFC has booked the two lightweights against each other for an upcoming event. The fight between Fiziev (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) and Bahamondes (17-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is set for UFC Baku, the promotion's debut in Azerbaijan. It will take place June 21 at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, officials announced the booking Friday. It first was reported by Russian X account RedFuryFT. It'll be a homecoming for Fiziev, who grew up in Azerbaijan. Both Fiziev and Bahamondes most recently competed March 8. At UFC 313, Fiziev suffered his third consecutive loss when he dropped a rematch to Justin Gaethje. Bahamondes picked up his third win in a row with a first-round submission over Jalin Turner. The latest lineup for the card now includes:
USA Today
22-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Video: Would Rafael Fiziev dropping to UFC featherweight division be a good move?
UFC lightweight Rafael Fiziev has teased a potential move to featherweight. Fiziev, currently No. 11 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie lightweight rankings, gave life to a potential division change after coming up short against Justin Gaethje at UFC 313. Fiziev stepped in on relatively short notice to replace an injured Dan Hooker, but even though he didn't get a full fight camp, he's thinking of making a major career change. Over the years, we have seen fighters change divisions, producing mixed results. There's no way to accurately predict how well a fighter will do after moving up or down in weight, but would it be a smart move for Fiziev, who is still one of the top dogs at lightweight? If Fiziev does move down, which matchups are most intriguing? Could he win a title at 145 pounds? MMA Junkie's Brian 'Goze' Garcia, Danny Segura, Nolan King, and host 'Gorgeous' George discuss Fiziev's potential at featherweight. Watch their discussion in the video above, and don't miss this week's complete episode of 'Spinning Back Clique' below on YouTube.
USA Today
12-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rafael Fiziev contemplates featherweight move after UFC 313 loss
Veteran UFC lightweight Rafael Fiziev is considering a drop to 145 pounds following his most recent defeat. Fiziev (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) lost a unanimous decision to Justin Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 313 in Las Vegas. It was a bout he took on short notice, and one that made him realize he might be better off a weight class below. 'I'm thinking right now about changing weight divisions,' Fiziev told Ariel Helwani. 'I'm starting to think about changing weight divisions because I really cut weight very easy this time and this was short notice. It was very easy. All this week my nutritionist Jason, he tried to gain my weight because my weight go low so fast. Right now, I have to think about it.' Fiziev says it's very 'possible' that the change might come as soon as for his next fight. He's yet to make the decision officially, but he felt undersized fighting Gaethje. If he drops, the Azerbaijani believes he'll do quite well in the featherweight division, and he'd be down to challenge the top contenders right away. 'I want to fight with top guys, some of the top guys,' Fiziev said. 'All of those guys in the top 10 are interesting. These guys are in trouble if I come here. They will be in trouble. Everybody.'
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rafael Fiziev thought he was in 'Disneyland' after Justin Gaethje uppercut, mulling featherweight drop next
Rafael Fiziev believes it might be time for a change. Despite his best efforts on short notice, Fiziev's return from a two-year layoff at UFC 313 this past weekend didn't go his way. Tasked with rematching Justin Gaethje, the duo again brought the house down in Las Vegas to earn Fight of the Night honors, with Fiziev ultimately ending up on the wrong end of the unanimous decision. Fiziev previously lost a majority decision to Gaethje in 2023. Fiziev, 32, quickly rose to prominence as one of the lightweight division's best strikers when he arrived in the UFC in 2019, however his latest setback now has him second-guessing his future in the weight class. "I'm starting to think right now about changing weight divisions because I really cut weight very easy this time, and this was short notice," Fiziev explained Tuesday on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show." "Very easy, bro. All this week, my nutritionist Jason, he tried to [help me] gain my weight because my weight [got] low so fast. And right now, I have to think maybe about it." Fiziev further noted that it's a "strong possibility" his next fight comes at featherweight and that he's been thinking about moving down in weight for a "long time, because I am not big in this division." A move down to featherweight would certainly be a way to shake things up for Fiziev. He claimed to wake up at 161 pounds on UFC 313 fight day — only four pounds above the lightweight limit. Although this was Fiziev's second encounter with Gaethje, he felt the size difference more than he did in their previous fight in March 2023. "He was big guy. When I kick him, I feel like I kick him with my fingers," Fiziev said. "I want to fight with top guys. These [featherweight] guys are very interesting. All of them, these guys in top 10. These guys have trouble if I come there. They'll be in trouble, man. Everybody." Since the first Gaethje fight, it's been tough sledding for Fiziev. He lost via second-round TKO to Mateusz Gamrot in late 2023 after tearing his ACL, which sidelined him until UFC 313. In total, Fiziev hasn't had his hand raised since July 2022, when he scored a vicious knockout of former champion Rafael dos Anjos. Fiziev recalled being initially saddened by this latest outcome but turned it into a positive when he realized the Gaethje rematch was an enjoyable fight for the fans. He had momentum on his side at the start of the matchup, winning round one unanimously on the judges' scorecards, however all it took was one seismic uppercut from Gaethje toward the end of the second round to change everything. "This uppercut changed all this fight," Fiziev said. "Honestly, this uppercut was like, 'Whoa.' And when I stood up from this uppercut in the second round, I was in like Disneyland. Everything like this [was going] on [in] my head. I didn't know how I stayed [in the fight]. And when I was going to sit [in the corner] before Round 3, I'm sitting and still in Disneyland. And like Round 3, in the beginning of the round, maybe the first two minutes or one-and-half minutes, it was also in Disneyland. "All my life, I'm thinking like, 'Oh, if somebody punch me so hard they're going to knock down, can I stand up? Can I stand up and continue the fight or not?' Always, all my life I'm thinking about that — and this is first time I [had it happen]. I stand up and I finish the fight, OK." Outside of the Gamrot loss via injury, Fiziev has only lost one other time via stoppage — his UFC debut against Magomed Mustafaev. Formerly competing in Muay Thai, "Ataman" isn't a stranger to high activity levels or competing on days' notice. The difference this time was the addition of his long layoff. Yet despite the hurdles, Fiziev soaked the moment in more than he ever has. "Cardio is not too good because it's short notice," Fiziev said. "I [was] not prepared for the fight, but mentally, when I go into the fight, man, [it was the] first time in my life I smile so much before fight. I have like 250 fights in my career, almost 300 maybe. I never smile. Never. This time, I go smile, I'm relaxing. I know a lot of fans going to love this fight. "These two years I [had] no fight, I [didn't get to feel this] happen, you know? It's so good, but I am sad because I lost. I want to win. I do all my best on this fight, but still, I feel so good during the fight."
Express Tribune
09-03-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Justin Gaethje beats Rafael Fiziev by unanimous decision at UFC 313
Justin Gaethje secured another hard-fought victory over Rafael Fiziev, winning their UFC 313 lightweight rematch by unanimous decision on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The judges scored the bout 29-28 in Gaethje's favour across the board. Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) first defeated Fiziev (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) at UFC 286 in March 2023, and their latest encounter followed a similar pattern. Both fighters engaged in a high-paced striking battle over 15 minutes, but it was Gaethje's precision and volume in the final round that made the difference. The turning point came in the second round when Gaethje ducked under a jab, avoided an uppercut, and countered with an uppercut of his own, sending Fiziev to the canvas. Fiziev recovered, but the momentum shifted in Gaethje's favour. Fiziev started the third round aggressively, but Gaethje's relentless pressure and striking output wore him down as the fight progressed. The strong finish swayed the judges, securing Gaethje's victory in the co-main event. Originally scheduled to fight Dan Hooker, Gaethje accepted the short-notice rematch after Hooker withdrew due to a hand injury. The 36-year-old had expressed hopes of earning a third UFC lightweight title shot with a win, but it remains unclear whether the promotion will grant his request. Gaethje came on late once again and held off the slight favorite for his utterly ridiculous 14th post-fight bonus in 14 UFC fights. Only twice has he left the UFC cage without a bonus – but two other times, he's picked up the ultra-rare double bonus to make up for it. UFC 313 Results: • Justin Gaethje def. Rafael Fiziev via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) • Ignacio Bahamondes def. Jalin Turner via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 2:29 • Amanda Lemos def. Iasmin Lucindo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) • Mauricio Ruffy def. King Green via knockout (spinning wheel kick) – Round 1, 2:07 • Joshua Van def. Rei Tsuruya via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) • Brunno Ferreira def. Armen Petrosyan via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 1:27 • Carlos Leal def. Alex Morono via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:16 • Mairon Santos def. Francis Marshall via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28) • Ozzy Diaz def. Djorden Santos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
