Fiziev (12-1) continued his rise up the UFC lightweight rankings with a stunning, left-handed knockout 18 seconds into the final round. The win, which headlined UFC Fight Night inside Apex, extended Fiziev’s winning streak to six. After the match, Fiziev, who is notorious for refusing to name any future champion, asked tennis superstar Rafael Nadal. “Now we know who the best Rafael is in the UFC,” Fiziev said. “Now we know and now I want to make a challenge: Who is the best Rafael in the sport? Rafael Nadal, come here.”
Fiziev, 29, may not be comfortable calling out other fighters, but he has no problem when it comes to facing them in the cage. His performance on Saturday was efficient and violent, as it has been throughout his career. Representing the country of Azerbaijan, Fiziev worked dos Anjos’ body with kicks and boxing combinations throughout all five rounds. Dos Anjos came out aggressive in the fifth, which played right into Fiziev’s hands. Referee Mark Smith stopped the fight as soon as Fyziev connected with a left. In addition to landing the hardest shots on the legs, Fiziev displayed formidable takedown defense. Dos Anjos, who was 2-0 since returning to light welterweight, has shown in his career that he will exploit an opponent’s weakness on the ground if it exists. The Brazilian veteran tried to put Fiziev on the floor, but he converted just 2 of 16 takedown attempts, according to UFC Stats. “I looked at the finish in all the rounds,” Fiziev said. “Who said he was going to take me down and submit me? How many times did he take me down? Once? No problem. I stand up.” Fiziev has now recorded knockouts in three of his six UFC wins, including three of his last four. His victims include highly respected names in the division: dos Anjos, Brad Riddell and Renato Moicano. According to the official UFC rankings, dos Anjos went into Saturday as the No. 7 ranked lightweight. Fiziev was ranked No. 10.
