This past Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 313, we saw a big time rematch in the lightweight division. Former interim champion Justin Gaethje (26-5) took on Rafael Fiziev (12-4) for a second time.
Originally, Gaethje was set to face Dan Hooker. However, less than two week before the fight, Hooker had to pull out of the fight with a hand injury. Several lightweights weren’t available to step in but one man who was willing to jump right in was Rafael Fiziev.
Fiziev had been itching to get back in the cage after recovering from a knee injury that kept him out since September 2023. Ring rust was one thing I was worried about with a guy like Fiziev because one of his best assets is his timing, however, he was on point from the opening bell on Saturday night.
Fiziev won the first round but you could tell that his cardio wasn’t quite there which is understandable considering the short-notice aspect of the fight. While Fiziev had moments in the final two rounds, the final two rounds were led by Justin Gaethje who was able to pickup the decision win at UFC 313.
What’s next after UFC 313?
While on paper this will go down at Fiziev’s third straight loss, he isn’t looked at as a guy who has lost three fights in a row. One of those losses was due to suffering a knee injury and this fight against Gaethje was taken with less than two weeks’ notice.
Fiziev stepped up for the UFC and I bet they get him a really solid fight for his next one. With that, I think another rematch might be next for Fiziev. I think a great next fight would be between him and Renato Moicano. They fought years ago with Fiziev scoring a first round knockout. However, Moicano is in a much different place now and I think a rematch between the two would be exciting.