The UFC lightweight division has never been more stacked. Elite-level talent is being chased by troves of prospects hungry to break into the elusive top 15 rankings. Kyrgyzstan’s Rafael Fiziev, a 28-year-old former policeman setting the division alight with his remarkable striking skills, could crash the contender’s party this weekend.
Rafael Fiziev is always on the hunt for US $50K checks
A product of the illustrious Tiger Muay Thai gym that spawned UFC bantamweight champion, friend, and teammate Petr Yan, Fiziev signed with the UFC in 2019 on the strength of a 6-0 record replete with six finishes.
Competing largely in Asia, Fiziev punched his ticket to the UFC with a brutal body kick knockout at Titan FC 51, which aired on the UFC’s streaming service UFC Fight Pass. Prior, Fiziev had gone viral for his physics-defying dodge of a head kick that reminded many of something they might see in a Matrix movie instead of in a cage fight.
Though he suffered a spin kick knockout loss in his octagon debut, Fiziev has been flawless since his first career defeat. He closed 2019 out with a win over Alex White, then notched back-to-back victories over fellow striking standout Marc Diakiese and former featherweight contender Renato “Moicano” Carneiro.
But while many in Fiziev’s position — 3-1 in the UFC and 9-1 overall — would be eying the rankings and the UFC title, Fiziev has a more fan-friendly goal in mind.
“My focus in UFC is to take bonuses, hunt for bonuses,” Fiziev said via a translator in January, per MMAFighting. “This, for me, is what I want in the UFC. I don’t think about the belt, I don’t think about the talk, I think just about bonuses when I fight. I find bonuses. If I fight, I find bonuses for sure.”
Fiziev vs Bobby Green goes down at UFC 265 on August 7
Fiziev continues his hunt for bonuses at UFC 265 when he faces action fighter and MMA veteran Bobby Green on the free-to-watch preliminary portion of the card.
Green, 34, has won three of his last four in what has been a career resurgence of late. All four bouts came in 2020, making Green one of the more active competitors on the roster last year.
The matchup with Fiziev, which many fans believe has “Fight of the Night” potential, will be Green’s first fight of 2021.
For Fiziev, it will be a welcome chance to compete in front of a sold-out crowd in Houston, Texas, after recently competing on Fight Island or at the UFC Apex with little to no fans in attendance.
“When no have fans [at the] fight, this is really dogsh*t,” Fiziev said. “Because when I walk to the cage, when I see fans, when I see people happy, people wanting blood, this gives me more energy. Like, ‘Wow, this is what I want.’ But without fans, you go to fight and you do not hear anything, you just hear your music.”
UFC 265 takes place on August 7, inside the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The preliminary portion of the card will begin at 6 pm ET on ESPN and streaming service ESPN+. The main card follows at 10 pm ET, exclusively on ESPN+ with a pay-per-view cost of US $69.99.
–Field Level Media
