Rafael Fiziev Gym: Why Did UFC Star Fall Out With His Coaches?

The Eastern Hemisphere has bestowed the UFC with several noteworthy stars. A few of them have also defeated all odds to claim the UFC’s divisional crown. However, several fans might opine no one can match the stature of the Dagestani phenom and former UFC Lightweight champ, Khabib Nurmagomedov when it comes to champions from East of the Atlantic. But the fighter in focus for this article is Rafael Fiziev, who’s making his impromptu return at UFC 313.

Besides the famous Dagestani dugout, other countries, like Thailand, have also produced amazing MMA talents, who are currently in the UFC. Thailand has several noted martial arts training centers that have been producing world-class martial artists year after year and generation after generation. It is worth noting that ‘Tiger Muay Thai’ has become a widely recognized name in this discussion, which is where Rafael Fiziev started training around the time he joined the UFC.

Where does Rafael Fiziev Train? Coach and gym

After developing his skills in Kyrgyzstan, Rafael Fiziev moved to Thailand in 2015 and started training with the Phuket Top Team for a couple of years. In 2017, he switched to another gym in Phuket, Tiger Muay Thai, which has been a breeding ground for many UFC fighters over the years. During his time there, Fiziev trained under head coach George Hickman, boxing coach John Hutchinson and BJJ coach Alex Schild.

Even Rafael Fiziev was a coach himself in Tiger Muay Thai, taking care of the striking department. After four years, the 31-year-old decided to start training with Kill Cliff FC under head coach Henri Hooft, given that he had moved to the United States. He traded time training in each gym across the two continents, but soon, word came out that ‘Ataman’ departed from Tiger Muay Thai to be a permanent member of Hooft’s gym. Let’s take a look at that front.

Why did Rafael Fiziev leave Tiger Muay Thai?

After a setback on his UFC debut, Rafael Fiziev seemed unstoppable before he met Justin Gaethje in his first encounter. After losing in a dominant fashion, speculations came about that ‘Ataman’ was not happy with the way his training in Thailand had panned out. As such, fans caught hold of an Instagram story from Henry Hooft of the Kill Cliff FC training Fiziev at his gym ahead of the fight against Mateusz Gamrot.

The aforementioned Instagram story fueled the speculations about Rafael Fiziev leaving Tiger Muay Thai, but the lightweight fighter never mentioned anything about it publicly. Furthermore, he even shared some Instagram posts of healing from a knee injury he suffered against Mateusz Gamrot, where he was seen in the Phuket-based gym. Even the gym’s website still has him listed as still working as a striking coach in Tiger Muay Thai.

While we can’t be sure about this departure, let’s take a look at why Rafael Fiziev left his first team in Thailand, the Phuket Top Team.

Rafael Fiziev’s beef with Phuket Top Team

Rafael Fiziev may have started his career in kickboxing and Muay Thai, but his attention slowly shifted to mixed martial arts when he was in the Phuket Top Team. The gym was known for focusing more on striking combat sports disciplines like Muay Thai, and their focus didn’t seem to align with ‘Ataman’, who was looking to make his way into the UFC. But that doesn’t seem to be the reason why he left that gym.

Before his UFC advent, Rafael Fiziev was sponsored by the Phuket Top Team, and as per his agreement with the owner of the gym, the UFC fighter was allowed to live in the gym. He made a deal regarding it with the owner, according to ‘Ataman’, who revealed this after he was accused of owing money to PTT in 2023. Fiziev even claims that the deal obliged him to pay them a 10 percent cut of his payout from fights as he lived in a small room there with his wife, who was pregnant.

In 2017, Fiziev had been sidelined with an injury for an extended period, following which he was offered a job in Tiger Muay Thai. After he took that chance and left PTT, the bad blood between him and his former gym started to grow, but the beef subsided in the coming months. Back to his fight this weekend, Fiziev wasn’t able to display much of his prowess in his previous bout against Justin Gaethje. Could he do it at UFC 313? Let us know what you think in the comments section.