Rafael Fiziev vs. Manuel Torres announced as main event for UFC Baku on June 27th
UFC Baku has its main event, and it stars Azerbaijani fighter Rafael Fiziev. The No. 11 ranked lightweight Fiziev will face the dangerous unranked Manuel Torres, who is 4-1 over his last five with all wins coming via first round KO.
“Ataman” holds the reverse record: 1-4 over his past five, but those losses against […]
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 01: Rafael Fiziev of Kazakstan prepares to face Mauricio Ruffy of Brazil in a lightweight fight during the UFC 325 event at Qudos Bank Arena on February 01, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) UFC Baku has its main event, and it stars Azerbaijani fighter Rafael Fiziev. The No.
11 ranked lightweight Fiziev will face the dangerous unranked Manuel Torres, who is 4-1 over his last five with all wins coming via first round KO. “Ataman” holds the reverse record: 1-4 over his past five, but those losses against top names like Justin Gaethje (twice), Mateusz Ganrot, and Mauricio Ruffy. Fiziev’s last win came in Baku, Azerbaijan last year against Ignacio Bahamondes.
Fiziev came into the UFC looking like a wrecking ball but a series of knee injuries has slowed the fighter down and this five round main event in his father’s home country may be the last chance he has to prove he can still hang at 155 pounds or if a move to 145 is needed. A win could push him back into the top ten. A loss could drop him out of the rankings completely.