The UFC's new AI rankings system removed Rafael Fiziev from its standings just days before UFC Baku. Manuel Torres, a lightweight rival of Fiziev's, reacted publicly to the development.
The UFC's automated AI rankings system removed Rafael Fiziev from the lightweight standings just days ahead of UFC Baku, a development that drew a public response from fellow lightweight contender Manuel Torres.
Fiziev, known as "Ataman," enters this moment as a 33-year-old Kazakhstani fighter out of Tiger Muay Thai carrying a 14-5 record. He had been ranked seventh in the lightweight division before the AI system stripped him from the standings. A switch-stance striker standing five-foot-eight with a 71-inch reach, Fiziev averages 4.71 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy and has recorded no submission attempts across his UFC run.
Torres, nicknamed "El Loco," is a 31-year-old Mexican lightweight fighting out of Entram Gym with a 17-4 record. He reacted publicly to Fiziev's removal, though the nature of his comments is not detailed beyond that public acknowledgment. Torres is one of the more active strikers in the division, landing 7.29 significant strikes per minute at an impressive 59 percent accuracy. The switch-stance fighter stands five-foot-ten with a 73-inch reach and also contributes on the ground, averaging 1.72 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Fiziev's removal from the AI rankings creates uncertainty around his divisional standing ahead of a card bearing his home region's name in Baku.
- Torres publicly engaging with the situation signals that lightweight contenders are paying close attention to how the new automated system shapes the title picture.
- Both fighters are switch-stance strikers with overlapping divisional ambitions, making the rankings dynamics between them worth monitoring.
