Fiziev promotes UFC event. Photo: Reproduction/X/UFC
After knocking out Manuel Torres in the main fight of UFC Baku, last Saturday (27), Raphael Fiziev He revealed that the victory had an unexpected ingredient. The home athlete stated that he lost virtually all vision in his left eye in the first round after being hit by a jab, and that the spinning kick responsible for the knockout was delivered almost instinctively.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani's YouTube channel, the lightweight (up to 70,3 kg) explained that Torres's strike completely compromised his vision, to the point that he couldn't even see his opponent's hand when trying to shake it during the break between rounds. Unable to see clearly, the Azerbaijani decided to rely on his memory of distance and his own experience to risk the strike that would change the course of the fight.
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“I was very lucky. I didn’t see anything when I threw the spinning kick. He landed a good jab on my left eye, and I think it was perfect. I couldn’t see anything. I tried to shake his hand at the end of the round, but I didn’t see his hand and missed. I told my corner that I couldn’t see anything, and they just pretended not to hear me. When I decided to throw the spinning kick, I just did it because I couldn’t see anything. I was very lucky,” Fiziev revealed.
Despite the limitation, the home athlete found the perfect moment to attack in the second round. The spinning kick landed cleanly. Manuel Torres...who immediately fell. The home fighter still landed some strikes on the ground before the referee's stoppage, returning to winning ways after his loss to Mauricio Ruffy. The Azerbaijani fighter seeks to establish himself among the top names in the lightweight division. In front of the Baku crowd, the victory also marked one of the most emblematic wins of his UFC career.
FIGHT VIDEO: Watch Rafael Fiziev's spectacular knockout at UFC Baku
HOME TOWN HERO 🤩@RafaelFiziev earns the THUNDEROUS TKO victory!
[ #UFCBaku | @ParamountMore ] pic.twitter.com/6SUx2MGBXY
- UFC (@ufc) June 27, 2026
Next target: Charles from the Bronx
Still in the octagon, Raphael Fiziev He took advantage of the moment to aim at a a tough opponent. Buoyed by the knockout over Manuel TorresThe Azerbaijani challenged Charles of the Bronx He is vying for the BMF belt and has requested that the former lightweight champion be his next opponent in the UFC.
The provocation reinforces Fiziev's intention to face the elite of the division again. After returning to winning ways with a dominant performance in front of the home crowd in Baku, the lightweight is looking for a high-level matchup to accelerate his climb back to the top of the rankings.
Read More about: martial arts, Charles of the Bronx, MMA, Knockout, Raphael Fiziev, UFC, UFC Baku
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