Fiziev Eyes Home Victory Against Torres in UFC Fight Night Baku Main Event

Posted : 26 June 2026

The UFC heads to Baku, Azerbaijan, this weekend for another Fight Night event, with hometown favourite Rafael Fiziev set to headline the card against Mexico's Manuel Torres in a lightweight showdown at the National Gymnastics Arena. The main card is scheduled to begin at 6pm CAT (GMT+2), with local fans hoping Fiziev can deliver a memorable performance in front of his home crowd.

Fiziev enters the contest with a 13-5 professional record and is aiming to bounce back after suffering a knockout defeat to Mauricio Ruffy in February at UFC 325 in Sydney. The Azerbaijani last celebrated victory on home soil in June, earning a unanimous decision over Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC on ABC: Hill vs Rountree Jr. That triumph ended a difficult run in which he lost three consecutive bouts, including two defeats against current lightweight champion Justin Gaethje at UFC 286 and UFC 313.

Torres arrives in Azerbaijan full of confidence after recording consecutive first-round knockout victories over Drew Dober and Grant Dawson. Both performances earned the 31-year-old Mexican the UFC's Performance of the Night bonus, highlighting his explosive finishing ability. His most recent defeat came in September 2024, when Bahamondes stopped him with a first-round knockout at UFC 306 in Las Vegas.

Looking ahead to the matchup, Fiziev acknowledged the danger posed by Torres' punching power but insisted he is prepared for whatever comes his way. The Azerbaijani said he has spent his entire life training in combat sports and believes his own strength and experience will allow him to match Torres' aggression. While recognising his opponent's tendency to finish fights early, Fiziev stressed that mixed martial arts is unpredictable and expressed confidence that he is ready for every scenario inside the Octagon.

The co-main event features middleweight contenders Sharaputdin Magomedov and Michel Pereira in what promises to be another action-packed contest. The main card also includes Nazim Sadykhov against Matheus Camilo in the lightweight division, Asu Almabayev taking on Charles Johnson at flyweight, Ikram Aliskerov facing Brunno Ferreira in a middleweight bout, and Abusupiyan Magomedov meeting Michal Oleksiejczuk in the opening fight of the main card.

Fiziev Eyes Home Victory Against Torres in UFC Fight Night Baku Main Event

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