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.
