A pair of ranked lightweights holding the #6 and #7 spots in the UFC’s official rankings closed out UFC Vegas 79, with Rafael Fiziev throwing down with Mateusz Gamrot.
Fiziev was looking to bounce back from a loss to Justin Gaethje that had landed the Azerbaijani Fight of the Night at UFC 286 in London — but not the win. As for Gamrot, a former KSW champ, he was looking to make it two in a row.
The fight played out on the feet early, with Fiziev looking the more dangerous of the pair. His combinations began backing Gamrot up, and the Polish star couldn’t find an entry on his takedowns. When he did, halfway through, it was wild, and Fiziev pulled his leg free while staying upright. An explosive sequence, but back to the drawing board went Gamrot.
As the round wore on, Fiziev began to target the body, drilling the midsection with kicks. Gamrot still pressed forward, employing his own kicks at times, but his striking overall didn’t have the same crispness, and Fiziev underscored that when a low kick took Gamrot’s feet out from under him. A late takedown attempt was then fought off by Fiziev, who scrambled out of it and was partially saved by the horn.
Round two saw Gamrot shoot in on a takedown early, and this time, he landed it. Fiziev gave up his back crawling to the cage with Gamrot clinging to him. They wound up back on the feet, and then the unthinkable happened. Fiziev fired a kick that connected with Gamrot’s arm/elbow, and as he placed his foot back on the ground, he immediately reacted in pain, clutching his opposite leg. Fiziev went down, injured, and the ref quickly came in to wave off the fight. It appeared that it was Fiziev’s knee that was troubling him, and it may have blown out as he fired the kick. Either way, a premature end to what had looked to be a great fight.
Official Result: Mateusz Gamrot def. Rafael Fiziev by TKO (injury), Round 2, 2:03
