Rafael Fiziev making his entrance at the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @rafaelfiziev
Originally scheduled to headline UFC Rio alongside Charles Oliveira , Rafael Fiziev saw his biggest career opportunity slip through his fingers. Suffering from a history of knee problems, the fighter suffered another injury and was forced to withdraw from his fight against the fourth-ranked fighter in the lightweight division (up to 70,3kg) on October 11th.
After the UFC's official announcement revealing that Mateusz Gamrot would be the Brazilian's new opponent, Fiziev took to his social media to lament the situation and admitted it was his dream fight.
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“Many people have asked me what happened to me, why I withdrew from the fight. I injured my knee again, I won't need surgery, but I can't train at 100%, I can't train wrestling, do sparring, I need to rest for a few months and then come back to fighting. I wanted to fight in Brazil, it's my dream fight, but I've already had some surgeries on my knee and it's a big risk to go with an injured knee now and fight. A big risk to go and have a third surgery on the same knee,” the athlete stated on his official Instagram account.
Rafael Fiziev after injury at UFC Las Vegas 79 against Mateusz Gamrot . Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Currently ranked 10th, Fiziev is coming off a victory over Ignacio Bahamondes . When he was confirmed as Charles' opponent, the wrestler surprised many fans by receiving such a significant career opportunity. Despite the announcement, the Kazakh fighter has not clarified when he intends to return to competition.
In a duel against Gamrot in 2023, Fiziev injured his knee during the fight in the second round and was defeated by technical knockout. The athlete currently has 13 wins and four losses on his professional record.
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