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Justin Gaethje will be taking on Rafael Fiziev in the co-main event of UFC 286 next weekend. The bout sees the No.3-ranked lightweight contender taking on the No.6-ranked fighter in a mouth-watering clash of styles.
Gaethje is known for his marauding, almost blood-thirsty, style of brawling. Whereas Fiziev is one of the most technical strikers in the entire UFC. Fellow lightweight contender Michael Chandler even went as far as to say that Fiziev's striking is the best in the promotion.
'Ataman' hails from Kazakhstan but trains at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand as well as Kill Cliff MMA in Florida, USA, under head coaches Henri Hooft and Greg Jones.
Fiziev has a Muay Thai background, amassing a professional record of 29-4 before transitioning to MMA in 2015. However, the Kazakh fighter was introduced to the MMA world prior to 2015 after going viral for dodging a head kick with incredible reflexes during a Muay Thai fight.
Watch the video below:
Fiziev was signed by the UFC after just six MMA fights, all of which he won via stoppage, but he came unstuck against Magomed Mustafaev in his promotional debut in 2019. 'Ataman' has gone on to win his next six fights, with back-to-back highlight-reel knockouts of Brad Riddel and former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos.
Rafael Fiziev will be appearing in the co-main event of a pay-per-view for the first time against Justin Gaethje at UFC 286 next weekend.
The card takes place in London, England, and will be headlined by the much-anticipated trilogy fight between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman.
Rafael Fiziev wants to showcase a "masterclass" against Justin Gaethje
Rafael Fiziev and Justin Gaethje are set to battle in an exciting lightweight clash at UFC 286 next weekend. Both men are known for their striking abilities, and fans are expecting a fight to remember between the two contenders.
'Ataman' is regarded as the more technical striker of the two, and during a recent interview with Submission Radio, he stated that he wants to "play" with Gaethje in the octagon.
Fiziev believes that Justin Gaethje fights with plenty of grit and determination but is confident that his technical prowess will allow him to dominate his opponent:
"I want to play with [Gaethje], I want to play with him. I want to do a [masterclass], I wanna show a [masterclass]. [To show him] what a real highlight is."
Watch the video below:
