Rafael Fiziev knocks out Manuel Torres at UFC Baku

Rafael Fiziev sent fans home happy at UFC Baku

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - JUNE 27: Rafael Fiziev of Kazakstan reacts after a knockout victory against Manuel Torres of Mexico in a lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at National Gymnastics Arena on June 27, 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Rafael Fiziev sent a reminder to UFC fans—and the rest of the lightweight division—with a sensational knockout victory over surging contender Manuel Torres in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Baku card. Now that Fiziev is back on track, what makes sense for him, and how do you think the new UFC Meta Ranking structure will reward him? Following the UFC Fight Night card, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, along with a guest appearance from Alexander K. Lee, reacts to the event as a whole, Fiziev’s spectacular performance, his callout for the “BMF” title, and what fights make sense. Additionally, they discuss some of the weirder moments on the card, another rough day for Herb Dean, Shara Bullet’s win over Michel Pereira in the co-main event, and much more. Watch the UFC Baku post-fight show above, or an audio-only version of the show can also be streamed below and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your pods.

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - JUNE 27: Rafael Fiziev of Kazakstan reacts after a knockout victory against Manuel Torres of Mexico in a lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at National Gymnastics Arena on June 27, 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Rafael Fiziev reminded everyone why he’s a fan favorite with an incredible main event win at UFC Baku. Fighting in front of an appreciative Azerbaijan crowd, Fiziev brought them to their feet with an incredible second-round knockout over Manuel Torres. A competitive first round saw both fighters having their moments, with Torres threatening to spoilt Fiziev’s homecoming. But once the second-round bell rang, Fiziev came out swinging—and spinning!—blasting Torres with a wheel kick that stunned him and following up with powerful fight-ending punches. The win helps Fiziev break out of a 1-4 slump and he stays in the mix of the always competitive lightweight division. For now, he appears to have his eyes set on the “BMF” title as opposed to the undisputed belt currently held by two-time opponent Justin Gaethje. Suffice to say, even Fiziev’s fellow pros were wowed by his latest highlight. Check out their reactions from social media below. Put his ass in the DIRT. — MarQuel (@Marquelmederos) June 27, 2026 Woooow what a finish — Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) June 27, 2026 Torres will be back he’s a tank people just don’t realize how good fizev striking is — Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) June 27, 2026 Fuck that was nasty Rafael is back 🔥🔥🔥 — Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) June 27, 2026 I always toot my own horn when we get the picks right it’s only right I eat crow when I’m wrong. I had completely written of fiziev but he’s still got it! — Zac Pauga (@ZacPauga) June 27, 2026 Fiziev with quite the start and finish to round 2! 😲🔥 — Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) June 27, 2026

UFC Baku ends in stunning fashion

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - JUNE 27: (L-R) Rafael Fiziev of Kazakstan drops Manuel Torres of Mexico with a kick in a lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at National Gymnastics Arena on June 27, 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Rafael Fiziev needed a big performance and he got one in front of a home crowd. Fiziev faced surging lightweight contender Manuel Torres in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Baku card. After a competitive first round, the Azerbaijan native came out like a man on a mission in Round 2, landing an incredible spinning wheel kick to drop Torres. “Ataman” followed up with vicious ground-and-pound to seal the victory, and receive a raucous ovation from his home crowd. Check out the finish below. Rafael Fiziev JUST DID THAT! #UFCBaku pic.twitter.com/bAdAGjfMkO — MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) June 27, 2026 The official time of the stoppage was 0:15 into the second round. Round 1 saw both fighters have a bit of success, with Fiziev even scoring a couple of takedowns. Torres kept the round close, and capped it off with a nasty jab that definitely got the attention of his opponent. That shot only seemed to anger Fiziev, who ended the fight shortly after the action resumed. Fiziev (14-5) entered the fight on a two-fight skid, and 1-3 in his past four, including two losses to current undisputed lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. In his previous appearance, Fiziev was stopped by Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 325 in January. After the victory, an emotional Fiziev called for a shot at the “BMF” championship. Torres (17-4) made it out of the first round for just the first time in his UFC run, and just the second time in his entire career. It was the second promotional defeat for the Mexican standout.

The MMA community reacted to Rafael Fiziev's highlight finish of Manuel Torres in the UFC Baku.