The UFC has officially confirmed that Rafael Fiziev (7-5 UFC) will face Manuel Torres (5-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC Baku on June 27. Fiziev brings a 7-5 UFC record into the lightweight contest, while Torres enters with a 5-1 promotional record. The co-main event featuring Shara Bullet versus Michel Pereira has also been confirmed. This marks an important booking for the UFC's return to Azerbaijan. Both fights are now set for the June card.
The UFC has officially announced Rafael Fiziev versus Manuel Torres as the main event of UFC Baku, scheduled for June 27 in Azerbaijan. The lightweight clash headlines the promotion's return to the region, with the co-main event between Shara Magomedov and Michel Pereira also confirmed for the card.
Fiziev enters the bout carrying a 7-5 record inside the UFC at lightweight. The Kyrgyzstan-born striker has long been regarded as one of the division's most dangerous standup fighters, and this main event slot represents a significant opportunity to reassert himself in the 155-pound picture.
Torres, known as "El Loco," brings a 5-1 UFC record and an overall mark of 17-4 into the contest. The 31-year-old Mexican standout fights out of Entram Gym and presents a genuinely alarming offensive profile: he lands 7.29 significant strikes per minute at 59 percent accuracy, while also averaging 1.72 takedowns and 0.9 submission attempts per 15 minutes, making him a threat across all phases.
The co-main event pits Shara "Bullet" Magomedov against Michel Pereira in what promises to be a striking spectacle at middleweight. Magomedov, a 32-year-old Russian fighting out of Gorets Fight Club, holds a 17-1 overall record and is one of the most accurate high-volume strikers in the division, landing 5.93 significant strikes per minute at a remarkable 62 percent accuracy. Pereira, ranked 15th at middleweight, is a 32-year-old Brazilian with a 32-15 overall record who lands 4.46 significant strikes per minute and adds takedown and submission dimensions to his game.
Why it matters
- The Fiziev-Torres pairing puts two of lightweight's most aggressive strikers on a collision course with divisional ranking implications on the line
- Torres's combination of elite striking volume and grappling versatility makes him a stylistically complex puzzle for any opponent
- Magomedov's 62 percent striking accuracy against Pereira's unpredictable movement sets up one of the more compelling style clashes on the card
- UFC Baku marks a continued push by the promotion to expand its global event footprint into Central Asia and the Caucasus region
