Rafael Fiziev has disclosed that he was suffering from severe double vision in his left eye after the first round at UFC Baku, leaving him unable to see properly when he sat on his stool between rounds. Unable to fight normally with the impairment, Fiziev decided to open the second round with a spinning heel kick, reasoning the technique required little visual tracking — and it proved fight-ending. Fiziev confirmed he would not have thrown the kick had his eye been unaffected.
Rafael Fiziev has revealed that a debilitating vision problem in his left eye shaped one of the most dramatic moments at UFC Baku, forcing the Kazakh striker to throw a spinning heel kick at the start of the second round — a gamble that ended the fight in his favor.
Fiziev disclosed that after the first round he was experiencing severe double vision in his left eye, leaving him effectively unable to see normally when he returned to his corner. With conventional striking combinations dependent on accurate visual tracking, the 33-year-old determined that a spinning heel kick — a technique that relies more on mechanics and feel than on locking onto a target — was the most viable offensive option available to him. He confirmed that under normal circumstances, with his vision intact, he would not have chosen to open the round that way.
The lightweight contender enters the aftermath of the bout ranked seventh in the division and carrying a professional record of 14 wins and 5 losses. Fighting out of Tiger Muay Thai and working from a switch stance, Fiziev has long been regarded as one of the more dangerous strikers at 155 pounds. His numbers back that reputation: he lands 4.71 significant strikes per minute at a 52 percent accuracy rate, figures that place him among the more prolific volume strikers in the lightweight division. Standing five-foot-eight with a 71-inch reach, he is not physically imposing by divisional standards, which makes his willingness to rely on unconventional weapons under physical duress all the more notable.
Why it matters
- Fiziev's win, achieved while visually impaired, adds weight to his case for a higher lightweight ranking and a more prominent matchup.
- The disclosure underscores how much damage he absorbed in the first round and raises questions about how he performs when fully healthy.
- His striking-first profile and ranked position at number seven make him a relevant name in a lightweight division still sorting out its contender order below the championship level.
