UFC Baku: Rafael Fiziev Saves His Ranking While Officiating Overshadows the Action

UFC Baku was supposed to showcase the UFC’s second trip to Azerbaijan, but by night’s end the conversation centered as much on inconsistent officiating as it did the action inside the Octagon. Multiple questionable stoppages and a lack of consistency in enforcing fouls frustrates. Fortunately, the main event delivered the memorable finish the card desperately needed.

Main Card

Rafael Fiziev def. Manuel Torres by TKO (Punches) – Round 2

With his back against the wall, hometown favorite Rafael Fiziev delivered when he needed it most. Entering the fight having lost three of his previous four bouts, Fiziev was fighting to protect his place among the lightweight contenders against the dangerous finisher Manuel Torres.

Fiziev slowed the pace early, briefly taking Torres down before investing heavily in leg kicks. Torres appeared to seize momentum late in the opening round with a sharp jab, but Fiziev erased any doubt seconds into Round 2.

A perfectly timed spinning heel kick rocked Torres and opened the floodgates. Fiziev unleashed a relentless combination before a crushing right hook sent Torres crashing to the canvas. Hammerfists followed, forcing the referee to stop the fight and giving Fiziev the statement victory he desperately needed.

Shara Magomedov def. Michel Pereira by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)

Shara Magomedov rebounded from the first loss of his career with his second straight victory, but referee Herb Dean became one of the biggest talking points of the evening.

Pereira stunned Magomedov in the opening round with a perfectly placed straight right. While hurt on the canvas, Magomedov illegally grabbed Pereira’s hair multiple times. Dean was forced to stop the action to issue a warning, yet no point was deducted despite repeated fouls.

Between rounds, Dean warned Magomedov that another foul would cost him a point.

That warning proved meaningless.

Magomedov found success in Round 2, using his dynamic kicking attack to outstrike Pereira before committing another foul in the third with an eye poke. Despite the second significant infraction, no point was deducted. Pereira, visibly compromised, absorbed heavy punishment down the stretch and lost a unanimous decision. Had either foul resulted in the point deduction many felt was warranted, the bout would have ended in a draw.

Matheus Camilo def. Nazim Sadykhov by TKO – Round 1

Matheus Camilo silenced the hometown crowd by cracking Nazim Sadykhov with a perfectly timed straight right hand. As Sadykhov covered up on the mat, Camilo followed with hammerfists before the referee jumped in for the stoppage.

Sadykhov immediately protested, believing he was intelligently defending himself, making this another controversial officiating moment on the card.

Asu Almabayev def. Charles Johnson by Submission (Suloev Stretch) – Round 3

Asu Almabayev showcased one of the rarest submissions in MMA, finishing Charles Johnson with a Suloev Stretch.

The Kazakh standout controlled the fight with relentless wrestling, accumulating over two minutes of control time in each round while mixing in sharp left hooks and spinning attacks on the feet. In the third round, Almabayev secured Johnson’s back. As Johnson attempted to shake him off, Almabayev trapped his leg and cranked for the rare submission, forcing the tap at 3:33.

Ikram Aliskerov def. Brunno Ferreira by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)

Ikram Aliskerov earned his third consecutive victory with a dominant wrestling display against Brunno Ferreira. Five takedowns, disciplined boxing, and occasional flying knee attempts kept Ferreira on the defensive throughout all three rounds.

Abusupiyan Magomedov def. Michal Oleksiejczuk by Submission (Guillotine Choke) – Round 1

Abusupiyan Magomedov returned to the win column in spectacular fashion.

A glancing elbow intercepted Oleksiejczuk’s forward pressure before Magomedov unloaded a barrage of hooks that dropped the Polish contender. Seeing the opening, Magomedov immediately locked in a guillotine choke, forcing the first-round submission.

Preliminary Card

Farman Hasanov def. Eric Nolan by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)

Decorated wrestler Farman Hasanov enjoyed a successful UFC debut by overwhelming Eric Nolan with an astonishing 17 takedowns on his way to a clear decision victory.

Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev def. Julius Walker by TKO – Round 1

The hype surrounding Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev only continues to grow.

The first right hook he threw dropped Julius Walker instantly, and only a handful of follow-up punches were needed to complete an emphatic eight-second knockout.

Nursulton Ruziboev def. Andrey Pulyaev by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) – Round 1

Returning after more than a year away, Nursulton Ruziboev picked up his third straight victory. He quickly dragged Andrey Pulyaev to the mat, secured back control, and after softening him with punches, finished with his 21st career submission and 24th first-round victory.

Kaan Ofli def. Javier Reyes by Submission (Arm Triangle) – Round 1

Kaan Ofli has now won three consecutive UFC fights, all by submission.

After dropping Reyes with an overhand right, Ofli transitioned smoothly into an arm-triangle choke to secure another impressive finish.

Daniil Donchenko def. Theodor Berggren by TKO – Round 2

One of the biggest betting favorites on the card, Daniil Donchenko improved to 3-0 in the UFC.

After spending the opening round attacking Berggren’s body, Donchenko disguised a perfectly placed head kick that landed flush early in the second. Sensing his opponent was badly hurt, he swarmed with punches until the referee waved off the contest.

Jean Matsumoto def. Bekzat Almakhan by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)

Bekzat Almakhan looked outstanding early, scoring a first-round knockdown. However, Jean Matsumoto steadily turned the tide with cleaner combinations, highlighted by a huge right hand followed by a flying knee. Carrying that momentum into the final round, Matsumoto used his size and pressure to secure the unanimous decision.

Tahir Abdullayev def. Jefferson Nascimento by TKO – Round 3

Tahir Abdullayev earned a successful UFC debut, but another controversial officiating decision clouded the result.

Referee Jim Perdios repeatedly warned Jefferson Nascimento for inactivity despite Nascimento appearing to be the more active striker whenever the fighters engaged. Abdullayev eventually secured top position in the third round and earned a TKO victory with ground strikes, although Nascimento never appeared to be seriously hurt or unable to intelligently defend himself. The stoppage felt premature and capped off a night in which officiating often overshadowed the performances inside the cage.

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