Manuel Torres has publicly responded after the UFC's new AI-driven rankings system removed rival Rafael Fiziev from the rankings just days before UFC Baku.
Manuel Torres has gone public with his reaction after the UFC's new AI-driven rankings system stripped Rafael Fiziev of his lightweight ranking just days before the two are scheduled to meet at UFC Baku.
Torres, known as "El Loco," enters the event carrying a 17-4 record and representing Mexico out of Entram Gym. The 31-year-old is one of the more active strikers in the lightweight division, landing 7.29 significant strikes per minute at a 59 percent accuracy rate — numbers that place him among the busiest finishers in the 155-pound weight class. He also averages 1.72 takedowns per 15 minutes, giving him a well-rounded profile beyond his aggressive stand-up game.
Fiziev, the Kazakhstani kickboxer nicknamed "Ataman," held the number-seven ranking in the lightweight division before the AI system removed him from the standings. The 33-year-old trains out of Tiger Muay Thai and carries a 14-5 record. He lands 4.71 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy and has never recorded a submission attempt in his UFC career, underscoring his commitment to striking exchanges. At five-foot-eight with a 71-inch reach, he is notably smaller in frame than Torres.
Why it matters
- Fiziev's removal from the rankings creates uncertainty around what a Torres victory would actually mean in divisional terms at UFC Baku.
- Both fighters are switch-stance strikers, setting up a technically complex stand-up battle between contrasting styles and output levels.
- Torres, who does not currently hold a ranking himself, could use a high-profile win to force his way into the official lightweight top fifteen — but the AI system's volatility adds an unusual wrinkle to those stakes.
- The public reaction from Torres signals that fighters are paying close attention to how the new automated rankings system operates and how it affects their positioning.
