Tag: Rafael Fiziev

Video: UFC 286 ‘Countdown’ for Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev

Get an in-depth look at Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev before they throw down in a pivotal lightweight bout at UFC 286 in London.

Did you miss the debut of UFC 286 “Countdown” or just want to watch it again? Check out the co-main event preview now.

The segment takes a special look at the featured bout between former interim lightweight champion [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] (23-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) and streaking contender [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC).

UFC 286 takes place Saturday at The O2 in London. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

“Countdown” goes behind the scenes with the two fighters, and you can watch the full segment above. And don’t miss the entire episode in the video below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 286.

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Rafael Fiziev doesn’t ‘give a sh*t’ if UFC 286 win doesn’t lead to title shot: Beneil Dariush ‘deserves it 150 percent’

Rafael Fiziev won’t be too bothered if beating Justin Gaethje at UFC 286 in London doesn’t get him a lightweight title shot.

[autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] won’t be too bothered if beating [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] doesn’t grant him a title shot.

Fiziev (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) will look to make it seven straight when he takes on Gaethje (23-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) in the UFC 286 co-main event at The O2 in London. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

While Fiziev thinks an impressive win over Gaethje should be enough for a shot at gold, he views Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush at UFC 288 as the No. 1 contender bout – especially if Dariush is victorious.

“I want to see how I beat him,” Fiziev told Submission Radio. “If I beat him perfect, nice, everybody likes it, and we make hype, I want to fight for the belt.

“Really, I don’t give a sh*t about it. If I beat Gaethje, I’m in a good position. If Oliveira wins, he goes and fights for the title – he deserves it. Dariush deserves it 150 percent. And if he wins that, I don’t want to stay on his road, because he really deserves it. I can wait. If they give me a fight after Justin, if I make a good fight, if they give me the title shot, I’m happy. If they give it to another guy, I’m also happy because I’m still in a good position.”

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Fiziev’s six-fight winning streak includes back-to-back knockouts of Brad Riddell and former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. He’s happy to take on another notable name in Gaethje, and plans on having a flawless performance against the former interim champion.

“I want to play with him,” Fiziev said. “I want to play with him. I want to show him. I want to do a masterclass. This is what I want to show. I want to show him a masterclass. What is the real highlight? I want to show him.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 286.

Daniel Cormier: Rafael Fiziev loss would make it hard for Justin Gaethje to regain UFC lightweight title contention

Daniel Cormier says a loss to Rafael Fiziev would be a major setback for former UFC interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] says a loss to [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] would be a major setback for [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag].

Gaethje (23-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) faces Fiziev (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) in the UFC 286 co-main event March 18 in London. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The former interim lightweight champion has been at the top of the division since joining the UFC roster, but after falling short in his second attempt at a title against Charles Oliveira in May 2022, Cormier thinks the fight is a must-win for Gaethje.

“Justin Gaethje is a kill or be killed guy,” Cormier said on his ESPN show, “DC & RC.” “His mentality doesn’t change. He’s just a crazy fighter who just loves being in the mix, and I know the same thing about Rafael Fiziev. This one’s interesting, but this is also one of those fights that can be the changing of the guard because if Gaethje loses this one, it’ll be very difficult for him to regain that place and that esteem that he holds in the lightweight division.”

Fiziev hasn’t lost since he dropped his UFC debut to Magomed Mustafaev – the lone loss on his record. The muay Thai specialist has knocked out three of his past five opponents and most recently starched former lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos in his first main event at UFC on ESPN 39.

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Spinning Back Clique: Francis Ngannou’s UFC exit opens door for Jones vs. Gane, more

Join us for this week’s “Spinning Back Clique” discussing a big past week of news and developments in the UFC and Bellator.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Nolan King, Farah Hannoun and Brian “Goze” Garcia will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag]: With heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou moving on, the UFC has booked a vacant title fight between Jones and Gane to headline UFC 285 on March 4 in Las Vegas. What do we think of the matchup as Jones’ heavyweight debut following a more than three-year absence?
  • [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] departing the UFC: Promotional brass and Ngannou negotiated on a new contract for two years, which ultimately failed to materialize. What’s next for Ngannou and what does this mean for the UFC?
  • [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] addressing the media about his domestic violence: For the first time since his TMZ interview, White spoke with reporters last week about the New Year’s Eve incident in which he was caught on camera slapping his wife. What do we think of how he handled it and the fact that he’ll be left unpunished for what he did?
  • The Bellator lightweight grand prix: The promotion announced last week that a $1 million tournament at 155 pounds is taking place, beginning March 10 with the first two quarterfinal matchups at Bellator 290: champion Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Benson Henderson, and Tofiq Musayev vs. Alexander Shabliy. Mansour Barnaoui vs. Sidney Outlaw also was booked for Bellator Paris on May 12, leaving A.J. McKee to fight Patricky Freire at an event to be determined. Do we love the field and pairings?
  • UFC 286 main and co-main events: Two big bouts atop UFC 286 in London are official. As expected, [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] will defend the welterweight title in a trilogy bout with [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] in the headliner, while the co-main event will feature a lightweight showdown between [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] and [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag]. What are our initial thoughts on these to matchups?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch this week’s episode in the video above.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Jan. 9-15)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from Jan. 9-15.

Rafael Fiziev gets wish, meets Justin Gaethje at UFC 286 in London

Rafael Fiziev will take another step in competition when he meets former interim UFC champ Justin Gaethje at UFC 286 in London.

[autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] will get the step up in competition he’s been looking for in the form of a showdown with [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] at UFC 286.

Fiziev (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), who has won six consecutive fights in the lightweight division, is set to take on former UFC interim champ Gaethje (23-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) at the March 18 event in London. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

MMA Junkie verified verbal agreements are in place with multiple people close to the matchup following an initial report from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. The people requested anonymity because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Additionally, Gaethje confirmed he’s in for the matchup when asked on social media (via Twitter):

Fiziev’s winning streak, which dates back to October 2019, includes notable names like Renato Moicano, Bobby Green, Brad Riddell and, most recently, former UFC champ Rafael dos Anjos.

Gaethje will return to action for the first time since he fell short of UFC gold against then-champ Charles Oliveira at UFC 274 in May 2022. He suffered a broken nose in the fight and after surgery is prepared to step back in the octagon.

The latest UFC 286 lineup now includes:

  • Rafael Fiziev vs. Justin Gaethje
  • Roman Dolidze vs. Marvin Vettori
  • Gunnar Nelson vs. Daniel Rodriguez
  • Luana Carolina vs. Joanne Wood
  • Malcolm Gordon vs. Jake Hadley
  • Jennifer Maia vs. Casey O’Neill
  • Jai Herbert vs. Ludovit Klein
  • Lerone Murphy vs. Nathaniel Wood
  • Chris Duncan vs. Michal Figlak
  • Veronica Macedo vs. Juliana Miller

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 286.

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Justin Gaethje: Fights vs. Rafael Fiziev, Charles Oliveira ‘both make just as much sense to me right now’

Justin Gaethje would be happy to get booked vs. Rafael Fiziev or a rematch with Charles Oliveira early next year.

NEW YORK – UFC lightweight contender [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] sees [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] and [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] as good options for his next fight.

Gaethje (23-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) is coming off a title loss to Oliveira (33-9 MMA, 21-9 UFC) this past May, but now that Oliveira is no longer champion, he’s interested in running things back. Rising contender Fiziev (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) has called him out on multiple occasions, and once Gaethje recovers from nose surgery, he’s open to that matchup too.

“They both make just as much sense to me right now,” Gaethje told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at a news conference last week. “I need two wins, doesn’t matter who. They’re gonna be big fights. I don’t wanna fight just anybody, obviously. Both of those guys are possible fights for my next fight. But again, my job is to stay out of my emotions. If I think about those fights, I get emotional, because that’s who we are as humans. I have to put the responsibility on the people that I trust, which is my coach, my manager, and they’re gonna pick the best fight for me, whoever that is.”

Gaethje hopes to compete on the same card as training partner Kamaru Usman, who is projected to face welterweight champion Leon Edwards in a trilogy bout next March in the U.K.

“I really want to be on the card that Kamaru’s on,” Gaethje said. “It sounds like it’s gonna be in March. I don’t know if it’s gonna be in London. I had a huge fight last fight, I got hit really hard, and one thing we have over other sports is the ability to take some time off. Every fight with the UFC has been absolutely huge, but my last three or four fights have been the biggest fights you can be in, so we just got to take time.”

The last time Gaethje and Usman competed on the same card was UFC 268 where Gaethje outlasted Michael Chandler in a Fight of the Year, and Usman retained his welterweight title against arch rival Colby Covington in the headliner.

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Beneil Dariush includes Charles Oliveira among three options for next UFC fight

Beneil Dariush won’t wait around for a UFC lightweight title shot.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] won’t wait around for a UFC title shot.

Dariush (22-4-1 MMA, 16-4-1 UFC) made it eight consecutive wins when he defeated Mateusz Gamrot by unanimous decision at UFC 280. Although he thinks he’s deserving of a shot at newly crowned lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, he knows it likely won’t happen.

After submitting [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] that same night, Makhachev called over UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski for a faceoff in the octagon. So if Volkanovski is next, Dariush sees three viable options for him.

“I guess right now my options are the winner of Dustin Poirier (and Michael Chandler), Charles (Oliveira), or (Rafael) Fiziev,” Dariush said on Morning Kombat. “Those are the three options. … Those are great fights, so let’s just figure this out and move forward.”

Dariush was scheduled to face Oliveira in October 2020, but the bout was scrapped after Oliveira withdrew due to undisclosed reasons. He was also booked to face Makhachev in February, before an ankle injury forced him to pull out.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] both recently lost title fights to Oliveira, and the streaking [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] has been eyeing former title challenger Justin Gaethje, who’s currently sidelined after undergoing nose surgery. Regardless of who’s next for Dariush, he hopes to make a relatively quick turnaround.

“I don’t want to sit out for another eight months, nine months, a year-and-a-half,” Dariush added. “I love fighting. I just want to fight. You’re not gonna be able to dangle the belt in front of me. The belt doesn’t make me feel special. I know who I am, I know what I’m worth, and I know what God has put me on this earth to do. So, the belt is cool, I’d love to get it, but ideally I just want to make sure I don’t waste my talents, so I want to get back in there as soon as I can.”

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Rafael Fiziev eyes December or January return against ‘yellow’ Justin Gaethje

Justin Gaethje is still the number one target for Rafael Fiziev when he returns, and he’s willing to wait for that matchup.

One of the most exciting lightweights in the UFC is fully healthy and is ready to return in December or January against a man who has not responded to his callouts.

In July, [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag] underwent surgery to repair damage to his nose after picking up an impressive win over former champion Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on ESPN 39. Now, the No. 6 lightweight in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings is back to training fully and gearing up for a return to the cage. Fiziev (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) still wants to face Justin Gaethje when that time comes.

“I think I can fight December,” Fiziev told The AllStar. “But I want this guy, bro. This yellow guy. I want him because it’s a very big challenge for me and really, this is nice fight. He like fighting stand up, and I like fighting stand up. Of course, he want to take me down, but everybody know how much Gaethje love the top.”

Fiziev has called out Gaethje since knocking off the former champ RDA, but it has been a one-way street. While his calls for a fight have yet to elicit a response, “Ataman” believes it’s because Gaethje wants a big fight with Conor McGregor or someone else that’s not as tough of a fight. If the former interim lightweight champ is game, Fiziev is willing to wait for the matchup.

“We’ll see, but hopefully I fight December or January with this guy,” Fiziev said. “Maybe January. I can wait (for) him. I can wait (for) him, I can wait like next year, for sure. No problem. I like it because now, my body is – I just rest, I feel good, I eat everything, what I want already. And now, mentally, I’m already want (to get) back to schedule, want (to get) back to diet, want to stay in shape. Skinny, you know? I miss for this.”

Fiziev, who typically fights twice in a calendar year, would like to end his 2022 or start his 2023 campaign with a tough challenge. Even with a fully repaired nose and a well-rested body, don’t expect his activity levels to change.

“I understand my body now,” Fiziev said. “I don’t like (to) fight many times a year like many people do. Like Donald Cerrone, a lot of short notice. My body is not like that. I’m not all year in shape, no. For me, I need to rest a little bit, two months, eat like crazy, and after I get ready inside, you know?”

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‘Let’s see who’s nose job is better’: Rafael Fiziev continues angling for Justin Gaethje matchup

Rafael Fiziev’s desired next opponent has also recently undergone nose surgery.

[autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag]’s desired next opponent has also recently undergone nose surgery.

Fiziev (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) went under the knife after scoring a fifth-round knockout of Rafael dos Anjos this past Saturday at UFC on ESPN 39. In his post-fight interview, the streaking lightweight called out [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag], who also just got his nose fixed.

Fiziev saw Gaethje’s image post surgery and jokingly raised him one.

“Perfect timing 👃 Let’s find out who’s nose job is better 😂@Justin_Gaethje”

Gaethje (23-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) took the opportunity to fix a nagging nose injury. After outlasting Michael Chandler in a Fight of the Year at UFC 268 last November, the former interim lightweight champion fell short in his second attempt at undisputed gold when he was submitted by Charles Oliveira in the first round at UFC 274.

Meanwhile, Fiziev has been on a role. Prior to knocking ex-UFC lightweight champ dos Anjos out, the 29-year-old scored a spinning wheel kick finish of Tiger Muay Thai teammate Brad Riddell at UFC on ESPN 31 last December. Fiziev has won his past six in a row, receiving bonuses in his past five outings.

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