Rafael Fiziev Returns To Winning Ways With Spectacular Spinning Kick KO Of Manuel Torres In UFC Baku Main Event
Rafael Fiziev gave his home fans the ending they had been waiting for.
Headlining UFC Baku, “Ataman” delivered a spectacular second-round knockout of rising Mexican standout Manuel Torres, snapping his recent skid and sending the partisan crowd into a frenzy at the National Gymnastics Arena in Azerbaijan.
The opening round was fought at a blistering pace, with both lightweights willing to stand in the pocket and trade. Fiziev mixed up his attack early, landing kicks and even surprising Torres with a timely takedown.
“El Loco” quickly returned to his feet and found moments of success of his own, catching Rafael Fiziev with a clean punch during an entertaining back-and-forth exchange.
Despite Torres ending the round with a sharp jab, the momentum shifted dramatically once the second frame began. Just seconds into the round, Fiziev unleashed a spinning back kick that crashed into Torres and sent him stumbling backward.
Sensing his opportunity, the Azerbaijani favorite immediately poured on the pressure with a barrage of punches, connecting with uppercuts and hooks that dropped his opponent to the canvas.
A few follow-up strikes later, the referee stepped in to wave off the contest just 15 seconds into Round 2.
With the finish, Rafael Fiziev improves to 8-5 inside the Octagon and 14-5 as a professional. The victory also ends a rough run in which “Ataman” had gone just 1-4 in his previous five outings and marks a successful rebound from his loss to Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 325 earlier this year.
