Rafael Fiziev (born March 5, 1993) is an

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

i professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

and

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterise ...

fighter, who currently competes in the

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight b ...

division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC). As of October 24, 2022, he is #6 in the UFC lightweight rankings.

Early life

Fiziev was born in

Korday Korday or Kordoy ( kz, Қордай, translit=Qordai, ; ky, Кордой) is a village in Jambyl Region of Kazakhstan, and the administrative center of that region's Korday District. It has been formerly known under its old Russian name of Geor ...

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental coun ...

, to an

Azerbaijani Azerbaijani may refer to: * Something of, or related to Azerbaijan * Azerbaijanis * Azerbaijani language See also * Azerbaijan (disambiguation) * Azeri (disambiguation) * Azerbaijani cuisine * Culture of Azerbaijan The culture of Azerbaijan ...

father and a

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

mother. When he was a child, Fiziev's family moved to

Bishkek Bishkek ( ky, Бишкек), ), formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is also the administrative centre of the Chüy Region. The region surrounds the city, although the city itself is not part of ...

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the ea ...

. When he was a child, Fiziev's dad bought him and his cousins boxing gloves and told them to spar. Getting beat up by his cousins, Fiziev didn't enjoy fighting and soon gave it up. It wasn't until he changed schools as a teenager 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 Thai boxing to MMA, he says learning the grappling was the toughest part but his striking and standup required adjusting as well.

Muay Thai career

On April 29, 2016, Fiziev participated to the Toyota Marathon Tournament. In the quarter finals he defeated Ruslan Rybakov by decision. In the semi finals he knocked out Phakhow Darbphong 191. In Final he faced Sorgraw Petchyindee Academy who defeated him by decision. 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 like

ROAD FC Road Fighting Championship (Road FC; ) is a South Korean-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion which was officially launched in 2010. Prior to December 2016, Road FC had held 52 events in three countries - South Korea, Japan, and China. Abou ...

and the American promotion

Titan FC Titan Fighting Championship (Titan FC) is an American mixed martial arts promotion based out of Pompano Beach, Florida. Their shows were originally run in and near Kansas City and have since expanded to include venues all over North America and e ...

before he signed with

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In his promotional debut, Fiziev faced

Magomed Mustafaev Magomed Mustafaev (born August 2, 1988 in Dagestan) is a Russian mixed martial artist, who competed in the Lightweight division of the UFC. A professional competitor since 2011, he has also competed for M-1 Global. Background Magomed Mustafaev ...

on April 20, 2019, at

UFC Fight Night 149 ''UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Oleinik'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 149'' or '' UFC on ESPN+ 7'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on April 20, 2019 at Yubileyny Sports Palace in Saint Pete ...

. He lost the fight by first-round technical knockout. Fiziev next faced Alex White on October 26, 2019, at

UFC on ESPN+ 20 ''UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 162'' or '' UFC on ESPN+ 20'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 26, 2019 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Fiziev faced

Marc Diakiese Marc Diakiese (born 16 March 1993) is a Congolese-born English professional mixed martial artist who competes as a lightweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has also competed for Caged Steel and BAMMA. Background Aged 17, Dia ...

, replacing Alan Patrick on July 19, 2020, at

UFC Fight Night 172 ''UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 172'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 30'' and ''UFC Fight Island 2'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 19, 2020 ...

. 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 Renato Alves Carneiro better known as Renato Moicano (born May 21, 1989) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2010, Moicano made a ...

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 ''UFC 256: Figueiredo vs. Moreno'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 12, 2020 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, Unit ...

. Fiziev won the fight via TKO in the first round. This win earned him his first

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

award. Fiziev faced

Bobby Green Bobby Green (born September 9, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2008, Green is the former King ...

on August 7, 2021, at

UFC 265 ''UFC 265: Lewis vs. Gane'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 7, 2021, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, United States. Background An interim UFC Heavyweight Championshi ...

. 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 ''UFC on ESPN: Font vs. Aldo'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 31'' and ''UFC Vegas 44'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 4, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevad ...

on December 4, 2021. He won the fight via knockout in round three. This win earned him the

award. Fiziev was scheduled to face

Rafael dos Anjos Rafael Souza dos Anjos (; born October 26, 1984) is a Brazilian American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former UFC Light ...

on February 19, 2022, at

UFC Fight Night 201 ''UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Hill'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 201'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 59'' and ''UFC Vegas 48'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 19, 2022, at the UFC ...

. However, the bout was postponed to

UFC 272 ''UFC 272: Covington vs. Masvidal'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 5, 2022, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United State ...

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

. The bout was rescheduled the third time for

UFC on ESPN 39 ''UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Fiziev'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 39'' and ''UFC Vegas 58'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 9, 2022, at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, N ...

on July 9, 2022. Fiziev won the fight via knockout in round five. This win earned him the

award.

Personal life

Outside of fighting, Fiziev enjoys blacksmithing with an emphasis on cold steel arms. He is a devout

Shia Muslim Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most ...

. In 2021, Fiziev revealed he would no longer be representing his home country of

during his UFC bouts due to the country's religious discrimination of Shia Muslims. He has since made

Phuket Phuket (; th, ภูเก็ต, , ms, Bukit or ''Tongkah''; Hokkien:普吉; ) is one of the southern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands of ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

his primary residence. Fiziev now represents his father's home country of

, and he is also the first fighter to represent Azerbaijan in UFC history.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

** Fight of the Night (two times) **

(Three times) *Combat Press **2021 Breakout Fighter of the Year

Muay Thai

*Kyrgyz Muaythai Federation **3x Kyrgyzstan Muay Thai Champion (2007, 2008, and 2009) *

International Federation of Muaythai Associations The International Federation of Muaythai Associations, or IFMA, called the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur until 27 July 2019, is the sole recognised sport governing body of amateur and professional Muay Thai and Muay boran consis ...

** 2009 IFMA World Championships Junior ** 2011 Kazakhstan National Champion ** 2016 IFMA World Championships (B-class) -71 kg *

World Muaythai Federation The World Muaythai Federation was formed in 1995 by the Professional Boxing Association of Thailand (PAT). The PAT is the only organization officially recognized by the Thai government. The WPMF was founded to promote and support Muaythai worldwid ...

** 2010 WMF Intercontinental -63.5 kg Champion

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 12–1 ,

, KO (punches) , UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Fiziev , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 0:18 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , Brad Riddell , KO (spinning wheel kick) , UFC on ESPN: Font vs. Aldo , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:20 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Houston, Texas, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 ,

, KO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:05 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Alex White , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Kallang Kallang is a planning area and residential town located in the Central Region of Singapore. Development of the town is centered around the Kallang River, the longest river in Singapore. Kallang Planning Area is bounded by Toa Payoh in the n ...

, Singapore , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–1 ,

, TKO (spinning back kick and punches) , UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Oleinik , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:26 ,

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Nurzhan Tutaev , KO (body kick) , Titan FC 51 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:51 ,

Almaty Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to 1936 as an autonomous republic as part of ...

, Kazakhstan , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Nandin-Erdene Munguntsooj , KO (head kick and punches) , Road FC 45 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:58 ,

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...

, South Korea , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Seung Yeon Kim , TKO (knees and punches) , Road FC 39 , , align=Center, 1 , align=center, 4:23 ,

, South Korea , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Suraj Bahadur , TKO (punches) , Primal FC: Dark Moon Rising , , align=Center, 1 , align=center, 2:30 ,

, Thailand , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Gunduz Nabiev , Submission (rear naked choke) , Boroda FC , , align=Center, 1 , align=center, 3:40 ,

, Kyrgyzstan , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Sam Bastin , KO (flying knee) , W.I.N FC , , align=Center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

Shenzhen Shenzhen (; ; ; ), also historically known as Sham Chun, is a major Sub-provincial division, sub-provincial city and one of the Special economic zones of China, special economic zones of China. The city is located on the east bank of the Pea ...

, China ,

Muay Thai record

, - style="background:#fbb;" , 2017-09-22 , , Loss , , align=left, Leyton Collymore , , Phoenix FC 3 , ,

London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

, , Decision (Unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2017-04-21 , , Win , , align=left, Yodpayak Sitsongpeenong , , Muay Xtreme , ,

Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populatio ...

, , KO (Right Cross) , , 2 , , , - style="background:#fbb;" , 2017-01-27 , , Loss , , align=left, Sorgraw Petchyindee , , Toyota Marathon, Final , ,

Phitsanulok Phitsanulok ( th, พิษณุโลก, ) is an important, historic city in Northern Thailand#Regional classification of northern Thailand, lower northern Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok Province. Phitsanulok is home to Naresuan ...

, , Decision , , 3 , , 3:00 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2017-01-27 , , Win , , align=left,

Dechrid Sathian Muaythai Gym Detrit Sathian Gym (also spelled Dechrid, Dejrit; th, เดชฤทธิ์ เสถียรมวยไทยยิม) is a Thai Muay Thai kickboxer from the Khon Kaen province in Thailand. He is the IMC World Super Welterweight 154lbs. ...

, , Toyota Marathon, Semi Final , ,

, , Decision , , 3 , , 3:00 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2016-12-30 , , Win , , align=left, Oasis, , Bangla Stadium , ,

Patong Patong ( th, ป่าตอง , ) refers to the beach and town on Phuket's west coast. It is the main tourist resort on the island of Phuket, and is the centre of Phuket's nightlife and shopping. The beach became popular with Western tourists, e ...

, , KO (Right Cross), , 2 , , , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2016-11- , , Win , , align=left, Jilas, , Bangla Stadium, Final , ,

, , KO (Flying Knee), , 2 , , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2016-11- , , Win , , align=left, Michael , , Bangla Stadium, Semi Final , ,

, , TKO (Body Kick), , 1 , , , - style="background:#fbb;" , 2016-04-29 , , Loss , , align=left, Sorgraw Petchyindee , , Toyota Marathon, Final , ,

Chonburi Chonburi ( th, ชลบุรี, , IAST: , ) is the capital of Chonburi Province and Mueang Chonburi District in Thailand. It is about 100 km southeast of Bangkok, on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. Its name means 'city of water'. Chonb ...

, , Decision , , 3 , , 3:00 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2016-04-29 , , Win , , align=left, Phakhow Darbphong 191, , Toyota Marathon, Semi Final , ,

, , KO (Right Cross) , , 2 , , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2016-04-29 , , Win , , align=left, Ruslan Rybakov , , Toyota Marathon, Quarter Final , ,

, , Decision , , 3 , , 3:00 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2016-04-01 , , Win , , align=left, Wuttichai, , Bangla Stadium , ,

, , KO (Spinning Back Kick), , 2 , , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2016-02-03 , , Win , , align=left, Teelek , , Bangla Stadium , ,

, , KO (Punches), , 2 , , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2015-12-27 , , Win , , align=left, A Kuang Rattanachai , , Bangla Stadium , ,

, , KO (Punches), , 1 , , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2015-12-27 , , Win , , align=left, Jack Keawpituk , , Bangla Stadium , ,

, , KO (Overhand Right), , 1 , , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2015-12-16 , , Win , , align=left, Damien Sit.Or , , Bangla Stadium , ,

, , KO (Left Hook), , 2 , , , - style="background:#CCFFCC;" , 2012-06-28, , Win, , align=left, Rishat Livensho , , , ,

, , Decision (Unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - style="background:#CCFFCC;" , 2010-05-08, , Win, , align=left,

Sergey Kulyaba Sergey Kulyaba ( Ukrainian: Сергей Куляба, born October 31, 1991) is a Ukrainian kickboxer. He is the winner of the 2018 Kunlun Fight 66kg tournament. , he was ranked the #8 lightweight in the world by Liverkick. Martial arts car ...

, , , ,

Mytishchi Mytishchi ( rus, Мыти́щи, p=mɨˈtʲiɕːɪ) is a city and the administrative center of Mytishchinsky District in Moscow Oblast, Russia, which lies 19 km northeast of Russia's capital Moscow on the Yauza River and the Moscow–Yaros ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

, , Decision , , 3 , , 3:00 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - , colspan=9 , ''Legend'': , - style="background:#fbb;" , 2016-05-25, , Loss, , align=left, Denis Kolotygin , , IFMA World Championships 2016, Semi Final, , Jonkoping, Sweden , , TKO, , 3 , , , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2016-05-24, , Win , , align=left, Martynas Jasunias , , IFMA World Championships 2016, Quarter Final, , Jonkoping, Sweden , , Decision , , 3 , , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2016-05-, , Win , , align=left, Facson Perrine , , IFMA World Championships 2016, Round of 16 , , Jonkoping, Sweden , , Decision (Unanimous), , 3 , , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2016-05-, , Win , , align=left, Serjio Villa , , IFMA World Championships 2016, Round of 32 , , Jonkoping, Sweden , , Decision , , 3 , , , - , colspan=9 , ''Legend'':

References

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fiziev, Rafael 1993 births Living people People from Jambyl Region Kyrgyzstani male kickboxers Kazakhstani practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Kyrgyzstani practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Kazakhstani male mixed martial artists Kyrgyzstani male mixed martial artists Azerbaijani male mixed martial artists Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Kyrgyzstani Muay Thai practitioners Kazakhstani emigrants to Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstani emigrants to Thailand Kyrgyzstani people of Azerbaijani descent Kyrgyzstani people of Russian descent Kazakhstani people of Azerbaijani descent Kazakhstani people of Russian descent