Which Rafael will take the win? This July, rising star Rafael Fiziev and former champion Rafael Dos Anjos will battle for supremacy in a lightweight bout. The fight was originally booked in February, and then in March, but was scrapped due to visa issues and CO-VID. Is the third time a charm? Fiziev looks to extend his win streak after five consecutive victories. Meanwhile Dos Anjos has some catching up to do with a mixed bag of wins and losses from his recent fights.
Fiziev looks to continue celebrating and make this match his sixth straight win. His most notable wins were against Renato Moicano, Bobby Green and Brad Ridell. Impressively he took down Moicano in the first round via knock out, and similarly he stopped Riddell during the third round via knock out. The Muay Thai specialist debuted in 2019 and has already made a promising start. Can he hold his streak?
Meanwhile former champion Dos Anjos looks to build his momentum and prove he’s still championship material. He struggled to return to the Octagon last year due to injuries, cancelling his booking with contender Islam Makhachev three times.
His last fight was in November 2020, where he defeated the now retired Paul Felder in a five-rounder. Previously Dos Anjos fought in the welterweight division before switching to the lightweight category. During his welterweight stint he defeated the likes of Neil Magny, Robbie Lawler and Kevin Lee. His cancelled match with Makhachev would have marked his official return to the lightweight division.
Can the veteran defeat the rising star, Fiziev?