Rafael Fiziev will face Manuel Torres in the main event of UFC Baku on June 27. The lightweight bout will serve as the headliner for the promotion's debut card in Azerbaijan. Additionally, the co-main event has been confirmed as a welterweight matchup between Shara Bullet and Michel Pereira. Both featured bouts promise high-level action for the Baku crowd. The card represents a significant milestone as UFC's first event in the country.
Rafael Fiziev will return to action as the headliner of UFC Baku, the promotion's first-ever event in Azerbaijan, set for June 27. The Kazakhstani lightweight faces Manuel Torres in what the UFC has confirmed as the main event of a historic card for the region.
Fiziev, known by the nickname "Ataman," is ranked seventh in the lightweight division and carries a 14-5 record into the fight. The 33-year-old trains out of Tiger Muay Thai and fights out of a switch stance, averaging 4.71 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy. His opponent, Manuel Torres, is a 31-year-old Mexican fighter from Entram Gym who brings a 17-4 record and one of the most aggressive striking outputs in the division. Torres lands an eye-catching 7.29 significant strikes per minute at 59 percent accuracy and also adds 1.72 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a well-rounded threat.
The co-main event features Michel Pereira, the Brazilian known as "Demolidor," taking on Shara Bullet in a welterweight contest. Pereira, ranked 15th at middleweight per the verified data, holds a 32-15 record and is 32 years old. The six-foot-one orthodox fighter out of Overcome Academy posts 4.46 significant strikes per minute and has shown a willingness to mix in grappling, averaging 1.21 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- UFC Baku marks the promotion's debut in Azerbaijan, making it a landmark event for the region
- Fiziev represents Kazakhstan, giving the card a local-hero storyline for the Central Asian fanbase
- Torres's elite striking volume sets up a potentially explosive main event between two switch-stance fighters
- Pereira's acrobatic, unpredictable style in the co-main guarantees entertainment for a debut crowd
