Rafael Fiziev was in disbelief when his phone rang. On the other end of the line was opportunity that he hadn’t expected would arrive so soon. After a fractured hand left the original contender Dan Hooker (24-12 MMA, 14-8 UFC) out of contention for the UFC 313 event against Justin Gaethje (25-5, 8-5), it only made sense that Fiziev would step up. After all, it was a chance at redemption for ‘Ataman’ (12-3, 6-3) who had exited the cage, bloodied and battered in 2023, against his upcoming opponent. But will be he able to make it work this time? Well, Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo had some choice words for the Azerbaijani fighter. But before we hop into that…

For the unversed: Fiziev and Gatheje had clashed at the co-main event of UFC 286 event in March 2023 at the O2 Arena in London. Expected to turn heads, the fight definitely didn’t disappoint, as both came in with full force. As Fiziev launched an offensive with several strikes right from the first round, his opponent also answered with his signature punches and leg kicks. As the fight dragged on, so did the fierceness—amply evident from a huge gash in Fiziev’s eye. Ultimately, Gatheje took home a win by majority decision (29-28, 28-28, 29-28). And looks like Fiziev had been quietly waiting for opportunity since then.

As soon as news broke that his time had come, the 32-year-old had said with disbelief, “Honestly, I didn’t believe this fight [would] happen. 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?” And, 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, and they aren’t so sure Fiziev understands what he’s walking into, as Usman and Cejudo laid out a grim reality.   

On the March 5 episode of the ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast, the duo 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 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 they’re going to get rounds four and five, and potentially six.”

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] Rafael is kind of loving the opportunity that Justin is giving him. He’s kind of…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, which Cejudo further reminded everyone. “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. Notably, Fiziev hasn’t entered the cage since his September 2023 loss against Mateusz Gamrot—a TKO (injury) loss at 2:03 of Round 2. Gaethje, on the other hand, is also coming off of an upset against Max Holloway (KO/TKO) during the BMF title fight last April.

‘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 Gaethje inside the Octagon, 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 

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 have to find out the hard way that Gaethje is coming with something to prove, too. 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!