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Matchup Spotlight | Rafael Fiziev vs Mauricio Ruffy
Crafty And Lethal Lightweight Strikers Meet In Sydney At UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes 2
Although most eyes around the lightweight title picture will concern themselves with the co-main event bout between Dan Hooker and Benoît Saint Denis at UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes 2, two dynamic 155ers will do their best to have a say in the division’s elite when they collide in what could turn into a dizzying display of striking Down Under.
Right before the co-main event, lightweights Rafael Fiziev and Mauricio Ruffy square off on the main card. The striking savants are eager to set themselves up for a top 10 test later in 2026, but first, they must outduel a savvy standup fighter.
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With the stakes set, let’s take a deeper look into the bout.
Rafael Fiziev
Fiziev arrived to the UFC as a 6-0 Muay Thai ace with high expectations that were stymied when he was on the receiving end of a shocking spinning kick less than 90 seconds into his debut. He got his feet back under him quickly, though, going on a 6-fight winning streak that included three knockouts, five Performance Bonuses, and wins over Renato Moicano, King Green, Brad Riddell, and Rafael dos Anjos.
Rafael Fiziev Fight Week Interview | UFC 325
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Rafael Fiziev Fight Week Interview | UFC 325
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The knockout win over “RDA” was Fiziev’s break into the division’s elite, earning him a date with now-interim champion Justin Gaethje. Fiziev fought well but ultimately lost via decision to “The Highlight,” nothing to hang one’s head about. However, Fiziev suffered a knee injury against Mateusz Gamrot in his next fight, which kept him out of the Octagon until March 2025 when he stepped in on short notice for a rematch against Gaethje, ultimately losing once again on the scorecards. The 32-year-old found himself on a 3-fight skid, but he rectified that with a sharp decision win over Ignacio Bahamondes in Baku.
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That victory solidified his shaky standing in the division’s top-10, and with the title picture quite crowded at the moment, cultivating some momentum with back-to-back wins could position “Ataman” well later in 2026.
Mauricio Ruffy
When “One Shot” arrived in the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series in October 2023, his Fighting Nerds teammate and UFC middleweight contender Caio Borralho told anyone who would listen, Ruffy was That Guy. Through three trips to the Octagon, those words seemed prophetic as the Brazilian scored three wins and two knockouts, including one of the best of 2025 when he landed a wheel kick on King Green at UFC 313.
Lightweight Mauricio Ruffy KOs King Green | UFC 313 on May 13, 2025.
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Lightweight Mauricio Ruffy KOs King Green | UFC 313 on May 13, 2025.
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However, the Brazilian’s momentum evaporated when he ran into Saint Denis in Paris. In that bout, Ruffy was taken down with relative ease and never got his own offense going, eventually losing via second-round submission. Since then, Ruffy decided to spend time in Thailand and Australia working with some new faces, including Alexander Volkanovski’s team. Whether that move is permanent or not is uncertain, but perhaps new looks could add wrinkles to an already sophisticated striking game.
Meeting in the Middle
By all accounts, this fight projects as a standup battle for 15 minutes or less. Fiziev surprised many when he got Gaethje to the ground in their rematch, but otherwise, these guys will likely go shot-for-shot. Fiziev is a slightly busier striker, landing an average of 4.77 strikes per minute, according to Fight Metric. Ruffy lands averages about a strike less, but he is slightly more accurate (57 percent compared with 52 percent for Fiziev) and a bit more defensively responsible on the feet (60 percent striking defense compared with 50 percent). Fiziev’s strength of schedule should be considered as well, though.
How they go about their work is similar but varied. Fiziev is a great Muay Thai practitioner out of either stance, allowing him to set up a variety of kicks to the legs, body, and head of his opponents. He does well to manage distance as well, showing discipline in his footwork while relying on his explosiveness to get him out of harm’s way on occasion. Ruffy is a much rangier and more measured striker. Watching him is to see a sniper download information and calculate the most devastating combination possible. At 5-foot-11, Ruffy likes to make the most of his length before wading into range with feints and fakes.
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Fiziev found himself a bit comfortable with controlling tempo against Bahamondes, picking and choosing times to explode into combinations rather than keep a high amount of pressure. Whether he does that on a similarly sized but slightly more dynamic fighter like Ruffy is something to watch. With two elite strikers, it could turn into a bit of a chess match, but considering both fighters’ general flair, it’s a chess match everyone should watch with bated breath.
UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes 2 took place live from Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia on January 31, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!