Rafael Fiziev Religion: Is the UFC Star a Muslim or Christian?

Lightweight contender Rafael Fiziev had been sitting on the sidelines for over a year before he decided to make an impromptu return this weekend at UFC 313. Taking on Justin Gaethje for a second time in the night’s co-main event, ‘Ataman’ will not only be aiming to take revenge for his loss in their first encounter but will also be looking to break the 2-fight losing skid when he steps inside the Octagon on March 8.

Rafael Fiziev, despite suffering losses in his last couple of fights, is still currently one of the most noted up-and-coming lightweights in UFC, boasting an impressive 12-3 record. But, a lot of fans aren’t really aware of his personal life, including his religion. As we approach his return, let’s learn about that aspect of the #11 ranked 155fer’s life.

Which religion does Rafael Fiziev follow?

This is also a question that a lot of fans have come up with multiple times. And to answer them specifically, yes, Fiziev is indeed a Muslim. He belongs to the ‘Shia’ sect of Muslims who constitute about 10-15% of the entire Muslim population of this world. While the founder of all Islam is clearly Prophet Muhammad, Shia Muslims follow Ali ibn Abi Talib as the founder, Caliph, and first Imam of the Shia Islamic sect.

Meanwhile, ‘Ataman’ was born to a father, who was Azerbaijani and a mother who was Russian. Hence, most fans may call him an Azerbaijani, depending upon his father’s nationality, while fans calling him Russian won’t be entirely wrong as well. But, things might get a bit confusing after knowing that he was born in the country of Kazakhstan in Korday. Further, Fiziev also moved to the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, at a very tender age.

He has also attended the police academy of Kyrgyzstan and competed in Muay Thai world championships representing Kyrgyzstan, despite having his father’s nationality of being Azerbaijani. Let’s take a look at that front.

Did Rafael Fiziev leave his country because of his religion?

Well, there’s no religion at play when it comes to Rafael Fiziev’s move to Kyrgyzstan because his parents decided to migrate to that country. However, the reasons for this move are unknown. The 31-year-old used to carry the Kyrgyzstani flag just like any other national athlete, but things changed in 2021 when ‘Ataman’ mentioned in a now-deleted social media post that he won’t be representing Kyrgyzstan on any platform anymore.

Although Fiziev didn’t describe the entire story, his decision was reportedly triggered by the words of the former chief mufti of Kyrgyzstan, Maksatbek Toktomushev about him. ‘Ataman’ had put up an Instagram video of his visit to the Shiite mosque of Imam Ali in Iraq. He also captioned his post, “There are no words to describe this. What a great spirit is here, what great energy”. He ended his caption with, “I advise everyone to come here and experience this incredible feeling”.

However, the Sunni mufti, Toktomushev, didn’t take Fiziev’s post too well. He said, “This athlete is the pride of Kyrgyzstan. In my opinion, he may simply express his feelings, but he should not become confused. Sport is one matter, ideology another, faith a third.” He also stated, “incorrect to urge such a thing”. Evidently, he was talking about Fiziev’s advice at the end of his caption.

Toktomushev continued, “I hope that our athlete will understand everything correctly and will stop [encouraging people to visit the mosque.] He needs to stop”. This might not be the only instance where the freedom of expression of ‘Ataman’ was curbed inside the Sunni Muslim-dominated Kyrgyzstan. There have been multiple reports of how Shia Muslims are victimized in many Sunni Muslim-dominated countries of the world, including Kyrgyzstan. 

Understandably, there must have been a lot behind a national-level athlete deciding to give up the same national identity. Nevertheless, it’s time to fight this weekend and Rafael Fiziev would be hoping to show his striking game, which he could not in his last fight against Justin Gaethje. Let us know what you think about the upcoming lightweight clash at UFC 313 in the comments down below.