Rafael Fiziev cleared for UFC return after torn ACL, reveals list of names he’d like to fight
Rafael Fiziev is cleared for combat.
The top-10 UFC lightweight contender revealed to MMA Fighting that he is back to full training after suffering a torn ACL in the second round in his UFC Vegas 79 main event bout against Mateusz Gamrot in September 2023.
All that’s left is for the phone to ring, according to “Ataman.”
“Oh, recovery [has been] going good,” Fiziev told MMA Fighting. “Straight away after the fight I [had] the surgery. So now it’s almost one year, and my knee is good. It’s going good, second time is like a little bit [slower] than the first time. But, yeah, that’s good. It’s still good now, I’m feeling good.
“I can’t wait to come back, and I hope I can come back before new year. [I’ve been training] already, I’m doing the sparring, all of the same routine like everybody [else in the gym does] when I come back home. And yeah, ready to hear some names from the UFC.
Fiziev suffered a similar injury four years ago, and was able to return from full strength. At this point in his recovery, Fiziev says he has “no limitations” in the gym.
Although the 31-year-old has been on the sidelines, there were a couple of things that weighed on him. For one, ending 2023 going 0-2 — which included a majority decision loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 286. Being in the middle of his first career MMA losing streak has not sat well with him.
Additionally, Fiziev has been watching the lightweight division very closely, and feels the division has been a bit “boring” for his taste. But that’s not the thing that has been the most surprising.
“You know what? You know what I want to say? Why nobody called me to fight,” Fiziev asked. “I’m f*cking No. 10, or what, No .9 now, and still nobody [says], ‘Hey, bro, let’s fight, you not fight one year, or this, or this, or this.’ I’m waiting [for] somebody to call me [out for a] fight.
“Why nobody? No. 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, where are these guys?”
Fiziev is 6-3 in nine octagon appearances, which includes victories against Renato Moicano, Bobby Green, and former champion Rafael dos Anjos. The No. 11 ranked lightweight in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings entered 2023 with an impressive five-fight win streak, which gave him the big co-main event fight with Gaethje in London, as well as a headliner with Gamrot.
Now that he’s cleared to compete, Fiziev will be happy to face anybody the UFC offers him in order to scratch the itch. If it were up to him, however, Fiziev has a couple of names in mind in Beneil Dariush and Dan Hooker.
“So I’m ready to right now — I’m ready to fight November, December and [December would be perfect],” Fiziev explained. “And honestly, [I’ll fight] anybody. I’m ready to fight with anybody, but I have few names because nobody called me to the fight.
“I want to fight Beneil because he also [hasn’t had a fight in a] long time, and I think, also you have to show to the fans and show to everybody, [if he deserves] his place or not — and also, me too. I understand that I also have to show to everybody, and to UFC, to fans, to fighters, to everybody, I have to show like I deserve my place on this division.
“Also, Hooker. He [talked] a bit about me like a few times. Now [would] you want to fight me? I’m ready now, Mr. Tattoo. If you want to fight, we can do good show. I believe that if are fighting, when the cage closes, me and you in the cage, we can make like holy hell in the cage if we stand in there together.
“With Beneil, yeah, I want to fight him so much, also, but I understand if we are going to the cage [to] fight with him, is it’s not [the same] hell like if we fight with Hooker. But both guys, I really, really, really want to fight against [one of those guys].”
Another name that Fiziev would be excited about is Gamrot, since he felt he was figuring things out against the former KSW champion before the knee injury. Fiziev says he grew confidence in his grappling abilities, even in the 7:03 of action, and believes he’s the better man.
“When his fight [with Hooker at UFC 305] finished, I talked to my manager, like, ‘Bro, I want to fight him,” Fiziev said of Gamrot. “I just want to fight him because I want to show to myself, well, I can beat him, and I believe in my skills, and I still want to finish [checking] my skills with him. So, also good. I’m ready for him also.
“Like I said, I want to fight with anybody. Make some name [in] front of me. I just want to come back and I want to fight. The [perfect fights] are Hooker and Beneil.”