5 Things You Might Not Know About Rafael Fiziev

Breathtaking action often follows Rafael Fiziev wherever he goes.

The 31-year-old berserker will return from an 18-month absence—he was shelved by injury—and look to reestablish himself in the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division when he rematches Justin Gaethje in the UFC 313 co-main event on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Fiziev wound up on the wrong side of a majority decision against the onetime World Series of Fighting titleholder a little less than two years ago. He has not seen action since he suffered a torn ACL in a second-round technical knockout loss to former two-division Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki champion Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Fight Night 228 on Sept. 23, 2023.

As Fiziev makes final preparations for his second encounter with Gaethje at 155 pounds, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. Turbulence was once a constant companion.

Fiziev was born on March 5, 1993 in Korday, Kazakhstan—a village of some 39,000 people situated on the country’s southern border with Kyrgyzstan. He and his family relocated to Kyrgyzstan during a difficult childhood in which he was purportedly bullied, leading him to a life in combat sports.

2. Eye-catching talents brought him distinction.

“Ataman” was a decorated muay thai practitioner before he made a full-time transition to mixed martial arts. Fiziev was a three-time national champion in the discipline and won bronze at the 2016 International Federation of Muaythai Associations World Championships in Jonkoping, Sweden.

3. He chose to link arms with reputable associates.

Fiziev often operates out of the distinguished Kill Cliff Fight Club camp in Deerfield Beach, Florida. The gym offers him daily access to a host of world-class stablemates, including Shavkat Rakhmonov, Jason Jackson, Michael Chandler and Vicente Luque. Fiziev also trains with the Tiger Muay Thai outfit in Phuket, Thailand.

4. His extensive travels would have made Magellan proud.

The Henri Hooft and George Hickman protégé has fought in 10 different countries over the course of his 15-fight career. In addition to his native Kyrgyzstan, Fiziev has seen action in China, Thailand, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Russia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and England.

5. He cashes in on his violent tendencies.

Fiziev has procured six post-fight bonuses—three for “Fight of the Night” and three others for “Performance of the Night”—across his nine appearances in the UFC. They have resulted in $300,000 of additional income.