Rafael Fiziev will face Manuel Torres in the main event of the UFC card in Baku, Azerbaijan, scheduled for June 27. The bout between Shara Bullet and Michel Pereira has been confirmed as the co-main event for the same card. This announcement provides the headlining structure for the UFC's upcoming event in Baku. Fiziev carries a 7-5 UFC record while Torres stands at 5-1 in the promotion. The post also mentions content duplication across multiple platforms for accessibility purposes.
Rafael Fiziev will headline the UFC's event in Baku, Azerbaijan, on June 27, facing Manuel Torres in what promises to be a lightweight collision between two aggressive, high-output strikers.
Fiziev, known as "Ataman," holds a professional record of 14-5-0 and sits at number seven in the UFC lightweight rankings. The 33-year-old Kazakhstani fights out of Tiger Muay Thai and brings a switch-stance striking game to the cage, averaging 4.71 significant strikes landed per minute at 52 percent accuracy. The Baku card represents a homecoming of sorts for Fiziev, who trains in Thailand but carries the flag of Kazakhstan, a nation neighboring Azerbaijan.
Torres, nicknamed "El Loco," enters the fight with an overall record of 17-4-0 and a 5-1 mark inside the UFC. The 31-year-old Mexican fighting out of Entram Gym is among the most statistically prolific strikers in the promotion, landing 7.29 significant strikes per minute at a striking accuracy of 59 percent — numbers that rank among the highest in the lightweight division. Torres also adds a takedown threat, averaging 1.72 per 15 minutes from his switch stance.
The co-main event slots in Shara Bullet against Michel Pereira. Pereira, "Demolidor," holds a 32-15-0 record and is ranked 15th at middleweight. The 32-year-old Brazilian out of Overcome Academy stands six-foot-one with a 73-inch reach and averages 4.46 significant strikes per minute.
Why it matters
- Fiziev, ranked seventh at lightweight, needs a statement win to push back toward title contention
- Torres's elite striking volume makes this a genuine threat to any fighter in the division
- The Pereira co-main adds a ranked middleweight to a card that already carries significant weight in two divisions
- Baku marks a high-profile international destination for the UFC, giving the card added promotional significance
