Overview
- Rafael Fiziev knocked out Manuel Torres with a spinning wheel/back kick and follow-up punches 15 seconds into round two of the UFC Baku main event on Saturday.
- Fiziev told reporters he suffered a jab that blurred his left eye entering round two and that he threw the spinning kick despite impaired vision, calling the finish in part a lucky shot.
- The victory ended a difficult run in which Fiziev had lost four of five fights and earned him wide praise and a reported Performance of the Night bonus.
- Fiziev credited Justin Gaethje’s recent title win for restoring his confidence and publicly asked for a BMF title chance with Charles Oliveira while saying he is still far from a lightweight title shot.
- He also denounced the UFC’s new Meta AI rankings as ‘elephant s—’ after being left off earlier lists and the knockout has prompted matchmakers and media to propose ranked opponents and rematches to capitalize on his rebound.