Rafael Fiziev

Rafael Fiziev (born March 5, 1993) is an Azerbaijani professional mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai fighter. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of June 27, 2026, he is #13 in the Meta UFC lightweight rankings.

Early life Fiziev was born in Korday, Kazakhstan, to an Azerbaijani father who was an undercover police officer and a Russian mother. When he was a child, Fiziev's family moved to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

When he was a child, Fiziev's father bought him and his cousins boxing gloves and told them to spar. Initially, he did not enjoy sparring, and it was not until he changed schools that Fiziev took up Muay Thai at the age of 11 due to being bullied. While he concentrated on Muay Thai growing up, he also took up several other combat sports including combat sambo, boxing, Jiu Jitsu, and wrestling. When switching from Muay Thai to MMA, he says learning the grappling was the toughest part but his striking and standup required adjusting as well.

Fiziev worked as an undercover police officer but resigned after realising he would not make it to the level he wanted to. As a poor Muay Thai fighter in Thailand, he would attend Buddhist temples to survive off of bananas and pineapples.

Fiziev entered the 2017 Toyota Marathon 154 lb tournament as well, defeating Detrit Sathian Gym by decision in the semifinal. In the final he rematched Sorgraw Petchyindee Academy. He lost again by decision but went viral on social media in the process due to the impressive lean back defensive technique he displayed.

On April 21, 2017, Fiziev faced former Lumpinee Stadium champion Yodpayak Sitsongpeenong at a Muay Xtreme event in Bangkok, Thailand. Fiziev won the fight by knockout in the second round.

On September 22, 2017, Fiziev faced Leyton Collimore at Phoenix FC 3 in London, England. He was defeated by unanimous decision.

Mixed martial arts career Early career Fiziev made his professional MMA debut in 2015. He fought in Asian regional promotions such as ROAD FC and the American promotion Titan FC before he signed with UFC, achieving an undefeated 6-0 record.

Ultimate Fighting Championship In his promotional debut, Fiziev faced Magomed Mustafaev on April 20, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 149. He lost the fight by first-round technical knockout.

Fiziev next faced Alex White on October 26, 2019, at UFC on ESPN+ 20. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Fiziev faced Marc Diakiese, replacing Alan Patrick on July 19, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 172. He won the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.

On August 5, 2020, Fiziev announced on his social media that he had signed a new, four-fight contract with the UFC.

He was scheduled to face Renato Moicano on November 28, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Lewis. However, Moicano pulled out on November 28 after testing positive for COVID-19 and the bout was rescheduled for UFC 256. Fiziev won the fight via TKO in the first round. This win earned him his first Performance of the Night award.

Fiziev faced Bobby Green on August 7, 2021, at UFC 265. He won the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.

He faced Brad Riddell at UFC on ESPN 31 on December 4, 2021. He won the fight via knockout in round three. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Fiziev was scheduled to face Rafael dos Anjos on February 19, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 201. However, the bout was postponed to UFC 272 due to visa issues with Fiziev. One week before the event, Fiziev was again forced to withdraw due to testing positive for COVID-19 and was replaced by Renato Moicano. The bout was rescheduled the third time for UFC on ESPN 39 on July 9, 2022. Fiziev won the fight via knockout in round five. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Fiziev faced former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje on March 18, 2023, at UFC 286. He lost the back-and-forth fight via majority decision. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night bonus award.

Fiziev faced former KSW Lightweight Champion and KSW Featherweight Champion Mateusz Gamrot on September 23, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 228. He lost the fight via technical knockout due to knee injury in round two.

Fiziev was reportedly going to face Mateusz Gamrot in a rematch on February 1, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 250. However, the bout was never officially scheduled for the event.

Replacing an injured Dan Hooker, Fiziev faced Justin Gaethje in a rematch on March 8, 2025 at UFC 313. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. This fight earned him another Fight of the Night award.

Fiziev faced Ignacio Bahamondes on June 21, 2025 at UFC on ABC 8. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Fiziev was scheduled to face Charles Oliveira in the main event on October 11, 2025, at UFC Fight Night 261. However, Fiziev withdrew from the bout due to a knee injury and was replaced by Mateusz Gamrot.

Fiziev faced Maurício Ruffy on February 1, 2026 at UFC 325. He lost the fight by technical knockout in the second round.

Fiziev faced Manuel Torres on June 27, 2026 in the main event at UFC Fight Night 280. He won the fight by knockout via a spinning wheel kick and punches in the second round. This fight earned him a $100,000 Performance of the Night award.

Personal life Outside of fighting, Fiziev enjoys blacksmithing with an emphasis on cold steel arms.

In 2021, Fiziev revealed he would no longer be representing his home country of Kyrgyzstan during his UFC bouts due to the country's religious discrimination of Shia Muslims. He has since made Phuket, Thailand his primary residence and represents Azerbaijan when fighting.

Fighting style Fiziev is known for his explosive and technical Muay Thai striking, shaped by years of training and later coaching at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand. He fights from an orthodox stance but frequently switches stances mid-fight to control angles and adjust his power shots. His striking is built around crisp combinations, heavy body kicks, and fast counters, particularly when opponents overcommit or try to close distance.

His defensive movement is a key feature of his style — Fiziev became widely known after slipping a head kick with a motion that resembled the “Matrix” movie scene, a moment that went viral online. While he prefers to keep the fight standing, Fiziev has shown competent takedown defense and quick scrambles when tested. His forward pressure, cardio, and shot selection make him one of the more dynamic strikers in the lightweight division, often blending power and technique with flair.

Championships and accomplishments Mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship Fight of the Night (Four times) UFC.com Awards 2023: Ranked #7 Fight of the Year vs. Justin Gaethje 1 Combat Press 2021 Breakout Fighter of the Year MMA Junkie 2023 March Fight of the Month vs. Justin Gaethje 2025 March Fight of the Month vs. Justin Gaethje Sherdog 2023 Round of the Year Bleacher Report 2023 #3 Ranked UFC Fight of the Year

Muay Thai Kyrgyz Muaythai Federation 3x Kyrgyzstan Muay Thai Champion (2007, 2008, and 2009) International Federation of Muaythai Associations 2009 IFMA World Championships Junior Silver 2011 Kazakhstan National Champion 2016 IFMA World Championships (B-class) -71 kg Bronze World Muaythai Federation 2010 WMF Intercontinental -63.5 kg Champion

Mixed martial arts record Win

Manuel Torres KO (spinning wheel kick and punches) UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs. Torres

Baku, Azerbaijan Loss

Maurício Ruffy TKO (punches) UFC 325

Sydney, Australia Win

Ignacio Bahamondes Decision (unanimous) UFC on ABC: Hill vs. Rountree Jr.

Baku, Azerbaijan Loss

Justin Gaethje Decision (unanimous) UFC 313

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Mateusz Gamrot TKO (knee injury) UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs. Gamrot

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Justin Gaethje Decision (majority) UFC 286

London, England Win

Rafael dos Anjos KO (punches) UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Fiziev

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Brad Riddell KO (spinning wheel kick) UFC on ESPN: Font vs. Aldo

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Bobby Green Decision (unanimous) UFC 265

Houston, Texas, United States Win

Renato Moicano KO (punches) UFC 256

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Marc Diakiese Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Win

Alex White Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren

Kallang, Singapore Loss

Magomed Mustafaev TKO (spinning back kick and punches) UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Oleinik

Saint Petersburg, Russia Win

Nurzhan Tutaev KO (body kick) Titan FC 51

Almaty, Kazakhstan Win

Nandin-Erdene Munguntsooj KO (head kick and punches) Road FC 45

Seoul, South Korea Win

Kim Seung-yeon TKO (knees and punches) Road FC 39

Seoul, South Korea Win

Suraj Bahadur TKO (punches) Primal FC: Dark Moon Rising

Phuket, Thailand Win

Gunduz Nabiev Submission (rear naked choke) MMA Kyrgyzstan: Boroda

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Win

Sam Bastin KO (flying knee) W.I.N FC

Shenzhen, China Muay Thai record