Rafael Fiziev Delivers Spectacular Spinning Kick KO Over Manuel Torres at UFC Baku

Rafael Fiziev secured a pivotal victory in his homecoming appearance at UFC Baku, Azerbaijan, by knocking out the Mexican striker Manuel Torres in the lightweight main event. After a closely contested opening frame, Fiziev opened the second round with a sensational spinning wheel kick that dropped Torres instantly. While Torres attempted to regain his feet, Fiziev followed up with a barrage of punches, forcing referee Marc Goddard to halt the contest just 15 seconds into the round. The win moves Fiziev to 14-5 and snaps a difficult run where he had dropped four of his last five outings in the Octagon.

Following the spectacular finish, Fiziev revealed that he had been fighting through significant physical distress during the contest. The 33-year-old contender admitted to suffering from double vision after absorbing several stiff jabs from Torres in the first round, stating he could not see out of his left eye when he unleashed the fight-ending sequence. Emboldened by the emphatic nature of the knockout, Fiziev utilized his post-fight interview to officially call for a shot at the 'BMF' title, signaling his desire for high-profile matchups in the lightweight division's elite tier.

The event featured several other high-stakes matchups, including a co-main event where Sharabutdin "Bullet" Magomedov improved his record to 13-1 by defeating Michel Pereira via unanimous decision. Magomedov successfully rallied after a first-round knockdown to out-volume the Brazilian over the final ten minutes. Elsewhere on the card, Matheus Camilo stunned the local crowd by securing a first-round TKO victory over Nazim Sadykhov. The event highlights the growing influence of Central Asian and Caucasian fighters within the UFC's global expansion, drawing significant attention from combat sports fans in India and across the region.