Rafael Fiziev defeated Manuel Torres at UFC Baku in a bout one analyst described as facing a 'f**king buzzsaw'. The result adds another lightweight win to Fiziev's record at the Baku event.
Rafael Fiziev picked up a lightweight victory over Manuel Torres at UFC Baku, with one analyst characterizing the matchup as facing a "f**king buzzsaw" — a description that underscores just how difficult the contest proved to be.
Fiziev, known by the nickname "Ataman," enters the record books at 14-5-0 following the result. The 33-year-old Kazakh fighter, who trains out of Tiger Muay Thai, holds the number-seven ranking in the lightweight division. He stands five-foot-eight with a 71-inch reach and operates out of a switch stance, landing 4.71 significant strikes per minute at a 52 percent accuracy rate. He has never attempted a submission in his UFC career, making his game plan straightforwardly striking-based.
Torres, the 31-year-old Mexican known as "El Loco," now sits at 17-4-0 after the defeat. Fighting out of Entram Gym and also using a switch stance, Torres brought a genuinely dangerous offensive output into the contest. He lands 7.29 significant strikes per minute at a 59 percent accuracy rate — numbers that rank among the most aggressive in the division and go a long way toward explaining the analyst's colorful assessment of the fight. Torres also averages 1.72 takedowns per 15 minutes, adding a wrestling dimension that Fiziev had to account for throughout.
Why it matters
- Fiziev's win at a home-region event in Baku strengthens his position as the seventh-ranked lightweight contender
- Torres's elite striking volume — 7.29 significant strikes per minute — made this a genuine test of Fiziev's championship-level credentials
- The result keeps Fiziev relevant in a crowded lightweight top ten as contender conversations continue to develop above him
