Fight Coverage
Co-Main Event Spotlight | Rafael Fiziev vs Ignacio Bahamondes
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The phrase “don’t blink” often gets thrown around when a knockout artist is stepping into the Octagon, but in the case of the co-main event between Rafael Fiziev and Ignacio Bahamondes, that advice has more to do with the wild striking styles of both men.
The lightweight contenders are among the most dynamic strikers on the entire roster, with several eye-popping knockouts to their respective resumes. They’ve shown the ability to create highlights no matter who they’re facing, and with an equally spectacular dance partner in the Octagon with them on June 21, one has to assume something special is going to happen in UFC’s first trip to Azerbaijan.
The stakes are high for diametrically opposing reasons when Fiziev and Bahamondes lock horns in Baku. Fiziev is desperate to stay around the top 10 after losing his last three fights, while Bahamondes has won three on the bounce and is eager to make the most of his chance to break into the shark pit that is the lightweight rankings.
High stakes, combined with high-level skills, equals an absolute treat of a fight, so let’s dive deeper into the matchup before it all goes down:
Rafael Fiziev
The fact that Fiziev remains one of the most highly thought of fighters in the lightweight division despite his current run-of-form speaks to how good the 32-year-old is when he is on his game. It also speaks to his strength of schedule. Fiziev holds knockout wins over the likes of Renato Moicano, Brad Riddell and Rafael Dos Anjos.
After losing his UFC debut, he reeled off six wins in a row—a streak which included five consecutive Performance Bonuses—to get into the top 5 conversation. One round into his fight with Justin Gaethje, Fiziev looked more than ready to collide with the best of the best. However, the former interim lightweight champion did what the best do and adjusted to take home the decision win.
Fiziev shared a Fight of the Night bonus with “The Highlight” and returned six months later to try to solidify his spot in the rankings against Mateusz Gamrot. Unfortunately, a knee injury suffered midway through the second frame not only meant Fiziev suffered his second consecutive loss, but also was kept out of competition for more than a year. It wasn’t until a short-notice opportunity came nearly 18 months later that “Ataman” would return to competition in a rematch against Gaethje.
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Beating Gaethje is tall enough of a task, but doing so on less than two weeks’ notice is as bold a choice a fighter can make. Once again, Fiziev started sharply but wasn’t able to best Gaethje over the course of 15 minutes, although he did earn Gaethje’s full respect.
The fight game moves quickly, though, and Fiziev finds himself without a win since July 2022. The talent and physical tools are clear as day for the Muay Thai specialist, but his back is against the wall as he seeks a standout performance in Azerbaijan.
Ignacio Bahamondes
“La Jaula” loudly earned his bid into the UFC with a front kick knockout win on Dana White’s Contender Series in November 2020. His effort remains one of the most spectacular finishes in the show’s lengthy history, and when Bahamondes is on his game, he tends to produce the spectacular.
Such was true in his sophomore appearance in the Octagon after dropping his official UFC debut via split decision to John Makdessi. Facing Roosevelt Roberts, Bahamondes more or less commanded the action, but instead of resting on his laurels en route to a decision, he uncorked a spinning wheel kick that flatlined Roberts in the waning moments of the fight.
Bahamondes strung two more wins to the end of that result before stumbling against the always-dangerous Ludovit Klein, but the Chilean continues to show a great hunger to improve. Since losing to Klein, Bahamondes collected three consecutive performance bonuses thanks to as many first-round finishes, most recently submitting Jalin Turner at UFC 313. That result proved Bahamondes could very well be ready for primetime. The 27-year-old continues to rapidly improve and reap the benefits from training with the likes of Belal Muhammad and Yair Rodriguez at Valle Flow Striking in Chicago.
Meeting in the Middle
While Bahamondes and Fiziev are both elite strikers, they get their work done in distinct ways. Fiziev is an explosive and highly intelligent striker who likes to open with his wicked-fast kicks and make reads from range. Generally, he has the speed advantage on anyone he faces.
That said, Bahamondes is the busier worker. With his gigantic 6-foot-3 frame, Bahamondes has the physical tools to snipe his opponent from range. He likes to use teep kicks up the middle,along with straight punches, to keep fights at his range with regularity. Bahmondes averages 7.01 strikes per minute, good for fifth all-time among lightweights.
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However, Fiziev’s speed is quite the difference-maker, and considering Bahamondes’ increased confidence on the ground—he scored a submission win his last time out and lauded praise on Muhammad for helping improve his wrestling—it wouldn’t be shocking to see Bahamondes mix in a shot or two early. Fiziev’s defense is elite, and his 90 percent takedown defense is tied for 4thall-time among lightweights, but getting Fiziev to think about a whole arsenal of attacks would serve Bahamondes well.
More than anything, though, the fight projects as a highly technical striking battle, which should be an absolute joy to watch for anyone from the hardcore fan to someone tuning in for the first time.
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