Rafael Fiziev wasn’t expecting his phone to buzz with an opportunity that few would dare to accept. Dan Hooker was out of his UFC 313 clash with Justin Gaethje due to a broken hand. When offered the fight, ‘Ataman’ revealed in an interview with UFC.com, “I gave my name just in case, but I don’t believe 100 percent because Justin already won one time, why he need to fight me again?”
But the UFC and Dana White jumped into action and paired the two elite lightweights for a rematch almost two years in the making. Now, on just a few weeks’ notice, Fiziev will be stepping into the Octagon for the second time against one of the most feared brawlers in the sport. The MMA world is watching, but two former champions aren’t so sure Fiziev understands what he’s walking into.
Rafael Fiziev receives a grim warning ahead of UFC 313 from Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo
On a recent episode of the ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast, Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo gave the fans a preview of their takes on UFC 313. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ began the breakdown by stating, “We’ve got the co-main event of the evening, the last minute replacement, this is you know, this fight took place in London, 2023. And I could tell a lot of fans wanted to see round 4 and 5, well they are in luck because this weekend.” The last clash between Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev took place at UFC 286 in 2023. While the fight ended in a majority decision win for ‘The Highlight’, Fiziev put up an impressive performance despite walking away from the cage bloodied and battered at the end of the three rounds.
As such, Usman asked his co-host, ‘Triple-C’ to share his thoughts on the matchup. And as always, Cejudo didn’t sugarcoat his words as he responded by stating, “Dude, honestly, the first time that Gaethje and Fiziev fought, I was like damn dude, Fiziev could be a problem for Justin. Because very technical, great setups but Justin’s a little too much bro.”
And that’s where the concern starts. Fiziev isn’t just taking on any striker. He’s stepping in against the human wrecking ball that is Justin Gaethje. A man who has a 75% KO/TKO percentage in his UFC wins and is one of the most devastating knockout artists ever seen in the lightweight division.
Cejudo pointed out, “Particularly the fact that you know, Rafael is kind of loving the opportunity that Justin is giving him, he’s kind of like really high-fiving him a little too much in my opinion. When I see that, I’m just like, bro, this isn’t really a friendly game dude.”
Fiziev has the skills to make it a fight, but history suggests Gaethje won’t let it stay that way for long. The first time they fought, Gaethje turned it into a war of attrition. Cejudo reminded everyone of the brutal truth as he confessed, “You know, Justin really put a number on him. Was it a good fight? Did Fiziev get his strikes in? 100%. But as we all know Justin, as much as he could give, he could also take it. ”
Now, with no real camp, not a lot of time to have a proper weight cut, and a last-minute flight from Thailand to Vegas, Rafael Fiziev might be walking into one of the biggest gambles of his career. But Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo aren’t sure ‘Ataman’ understands just how dangerous this fight could be.
‘Triple C’ put it best by stating that this “isn’t really a friendly game”, this is war. And according to a man who last faced off against Justin Gaethje inside the Octagon, Rafael Fiziev might be facing a version of ‘The Highlight’ he hasn’t seen before!
Max Holloway predicts Justin Gaethje will live up to his nickname against Fiziev
The stakes are high, and the pressure is suffocating. Justin Gaethje isn’t just stepping into the Octagon to fight Fiziev, he’s stepping in to erase the haunting memory of UFC 300. And if Max Holloway’s prediction holds weight, Fiziev might be in for a painful night!
‘Blessed’ recently broke down the UFC 313 card on his YouTube channel. When it came to the co-main event, he needed no deep analysis. The former featherweight champion confessed, ”This is going to be a fight man. With Gaethje coming in as the underdog, this is easy picking for me. You need to roll with Gaethje, especially coming off of his last fight. “
The former featherweight champ acknowledged Fiziev’s talent but didn’t hesitate in his final verdict. To Holloway, his knocking out Gaethje at UFC 300 is the key here. Why? Holloway further explained, “He wants to erase that last loss with something huge so I’m calling this right now. I’m picking Justin Gaethje and I’m going with his nickname man, he’s going to have a highlight this fight.”
If Rafael Fiziev thought stepping in on short notice was a bold move, he might find out the hard way that Gaethje is coming with something to prove. Will ‘Ataman’s precision and technique be enough to weather the storm? Or is he stepping into a firefight with too little time to prepare? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Rafael Fiziev’s Last-Minute Gamble Takes a Bad Turn as Justin Gaethje UFC 313 Fight Gets a Tough Call appeared first on EssentiallySports.
