Rafael Fiziev (7-5 UFC) will face Manuel Torres (5-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC Baku on June 27. The announcement confirms the headliner for the upcoming event in Azerbaijan. Both fighters bring solid UFC records into this lightweight matchup. Fiziev enters off a mixed run in the promotion, while Torres has been largely successful in his UFC tenure. The post prompted fan predictions on the outcome.
Rafael Fiziev and Manuel Torres are set to collide in the main event of UFC Baku on June 27, with the promotion confirming the lightweight headliner for the event in Azerbaijan.
Fiziev, known as "Ataman," enters the bout ranked seventh in the lightweight division. The 33-year-old from Kazakhstan trains out of Tiger Muay Thai and carries a professional record of 14-5, going 7-5 inside the UFC. A switch-stance striker standing five-foot-eight with a 71-inch reach, Fiziev lands 4.71 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy. He has recorded no submission attempts across his UFC run, underlining a game plan built almost entirely around his striking.
Torres, nicknamed "El Loco," brings a record of 17-4 into the main event and has gone 5-1 during his UFC tenure. The 31-year-old Mexican, who trains at Entram Gym, also fights out of a switch stance and stands five-foot-ten with a 73-inch reach. His output numbers are striking — Torres lands 7.29 significant strikes per minute at an impressive 59 percent accuracy, among the higher marks in the division. He also adds 1.72 takedowns per 15 minutes, giving him a more varied offensive threat than his opponent.
Why it matters
- Fiziev sits at number seven in the lightweight rankings, meaning a win or loss will have direct implications on the division's contender picture.
- Torres's high-volume, high-accuracy striking against Fiziev's own stand-up credentials sets up a compelling style matchup between two switch-stance fighters.
- The main event gives UFC Baku a genuine lightweight contention fight, raising the profile of the promotion's first event in Azerbaijan.
