Rafael Fiziev has disclosed that he lost functional use of his left eye after the first round at UFC Baku, seeing triple or quadruple whenever he opened it. Sitting in his corner between rounds, he decided a spinning heel kick — a strike that requires minimal visual tracking — was his best option to open the second. Fiziev confirmed he would not have thrown the kick under normal circumstances, but the eye problem drove the decision that led to his knockout finish.
Rafael Fiziev has revealed that a serious eye injury sustained during his UFC Baku bout left him with severely impaired vision for the remainder of the fight, forcing him into an unconventional tactical decision that ultimately produced a knockout finish.
The Kazakhstani lightweight disclosed that after the first round he lost functional use of his left eye, experiencing triple or quadruple vision whenever he opened it. Sitting in his corner between rounds, Fiziev determined that a spinning heel kick — a technique that relies far less on precise visual tracking than conventional strikes — gave him the best chance of landing cleanly. He confirmed the kick was not part of his original game plan and that he would not have thrown it under normal conditions.
Fiziev, 33, competes out of Tiger Muay Thai and currently sits seventh in the UFC lightweight rankings with a professional record of 14 wins and 5 losses. Standing five-foot-eight with a 71-inch reach, the switch-stance striker is one of the division's more dangerous stand-up fighters, averaging 4.71 significant strikes landed per minute at a 52 percent striking accuracy — numbers that reflect a fighter whose offense is typically built on precision and volume rather than desperation.
Why it matters
- The disclosure reframes the spinning heel kick finish as a calculated adaptation to a serious in-fight medical situation rather than a planned highlight-reel moment.
- Fiziev's ability to secure a finish while functionally blind in one eye adds context to his standing as the seventh-ranked lightweight, a position that could strengthen with a confirmed victory on his record.
- The revelation raises questions about fighter safety protocols and how corner teams assess and manage acute vision impairment between rounds.
