Former interim champion UFC in the lightweight division Justin Gaethje (25-5) has a new opponent for the upcoming tournament UFC 313 scheduled for the night of March 8-9 in Las Vegas, as reported by Vesti.kz citing AllBoxing.ru .
Instead of the injured Dan Hooker, who had to withdraw from the fight due to a broken arm, the octagon will see Kazakh-born Azerbaijani fighter Rafael Fiziev (12-3) face Gaethje.
This matchup will be a rematch - the fighters already clashed in the cage at UFC 286 in March 2023. That bout was thrilling and intense, with Gaethje winning by a majority of the judges' scorecards.
Following that triumph, the American fought twice: he knocked out Dustin Poirier but was later knocked out himself by Max Holloway in a dramatic fifth round for the BMF title.
Fiziev, on the other hand, has only fought once since his first bout with Gaethje - in September 2023 against Mateusz Gamrot. During that fight, he suffered a knee injury in the second round and was unable to continue.
It’s worth noting that Fiziev was born in Korday (Kazakhstan) and made his debut in the American promotion in 2019. Until October 14, 2021, he fought under the flag of Kyrgyzstan, but now represents Azerbaijan.