Though lesser known in the MMA world, Rafael Fiziev has featured in countless fights for Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and non-recorded MMA tournaments. 

Additionally, being a fighter himself, Fiziev is also a coach by profession. 

At present, he fights in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Like almost every athlete, Fiziev commenced early in his career in the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts).

However, he only made his debut in the later phase in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). Currently, his ranking is #25 in the lightweight division. 

Above all, Fiziev is known for his knockout ability in his fights. Before plunging into his journey, let’s get through a quick dose of general get-to-go facts. 

Quick Facts

Body Measurements 

Rafael Fiziev has years of training in the fighting centers and gym. At present, he stands at the towering height of 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 meters) while weighing 155 lb (70 kg). 

Furthermore, his reach measures 71 inches (180 cm). Like many athletes, he is involved in his gym routine with intense deadlifts, squats, and bench presses.

Not to menti0on, he has a strict diet for the consumption of calories and green leafy veggies. 

Altogether, Fiziev looks handsome with his curly brown short locks and a beard of a similar color. Not to mention, he has mesmerizing grey eyes. 

You can check out Rafael Fiziev’s workout routine here! Click to watch!

Rafael Fiziev | Early Life 

Fiziev was born on March 5, 1993, under Pisces’ sun sign in Korday, Kazakhstan. Apparently, no details and information are present about his family background and parents.

Additionally, it is unknown if he has any siblings. As far as the sources, Fiziev’s father is a police officer by profession. 

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Introduction to MMA

Rafael Fiziev was introduced to fighting in his early days. The first time he held the boxing gloves was when as a kid, his father had asked him to spar with his cousin. 

As Rafael recalls, he gave his all in the bout; however, he lost with his cousin as his cousin beat him. Therefore, Fiziev decided he wouldn’t take up fighting and didn’t like it. 

But still, as if it were a fate, he took up fighting again after being admitted to the new school.

As he was transferred after moving, Rafael was bullied in his new school. Thus, he decided to take up Muay Thai. 

Muay Thai

As Rafael commenced his training in Muay Thai, he wanted to be trained in the best possible ways.

Therewith, he moved to Thailand from Kyrgyzstan, where he trained in the world-renowned Tiger Muay Thai & MMA located in Phuket.

During his tenure, Rafael also trained with the Phuket Top Team. As a matter of fact, Rafael was never only focused on Muay Thai.

In fact, he would choose various disciplines like combat sambo, boxing, hand-to-hand combat, and Jiu-Jitsu.

Having said this, he was also into wrestling while he took the fifth dan in Taekwondo.

While with the Phuket Top Team, Rafael spent six months, during which he maintained 8-1 with seven knockouts.

Moreover, Muay Thai was Fiziev’s base tactic which also stood as the reason for him to help in entering the MMA.

Back then, his “matrix defense” video against Sorgaw Petchyindee was his biggest highlight that earned him the spot. 

To elaborate, it was the bout that took place on January 27, 2017, during the finals of the Toyota Marathon in Phitsanulok, Thailand.

As he fought over Sorgaw, Rafael portrayed his defense skill like a Neo out of the 1999 movie, ‘The Matrix.’

Of course, Sorgaw’s right kick didn’t even gain contact with Rafael. Thus, the video was viral on Instagram with over 2 million views. 

MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) Record 

Initially, moving from Muay Thai to MMA, Rafael had trouble learning grappling while he was doing just fine with his striking and standup.

As for MMA, he garnered a chance to learn from Pavel Fedotov, the renowned coach of the Shevchenko sisters, Valentina and Antonina. 

During his tenure of training, he has sparked the news with his highlights. Back then, he was dining with one of the Valentina Shevchenko when the restaurant was attacked for the robbery.

Well, Rafael shot and killed one of the armed robbers. Indeed, he also suffered from a bullet injury right then. Overall, he has had a successful journey in MMA. 

Rafael had his MMA debut in 2015, during which he has fought in Asian regional promotions like ROAD FC and the American promotion Titan FC.

One of his notable fights in the arena is against Nandin-Erdene Mungunstooj (a one-minute knockout at Road FC 45 in December 2017). 

Apart from it, he has also fought in Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

On April 20, 2019, Rafael Fiziev made his promotional debut in the UFC debut over Magomed Mustafaev at UFC Fight Night 149. Unfortunately, Fiziev took his fall right then with a technical knockout. 

Altogether, Fiziev is yet to make a strong impact in the arena, and today, he is just two years old for the UFC.

Additionally, he had victory over Sam Basten (KO with flying knee in the first round).

Likewise, on October 26, 2019, he faced Alex White at UFC on ESPN+ 20, while he took the win by unanimous decision.

Rafael Fiziev vs. Marc Diakiese

Rafael Fiziev faced Marc Diakese in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, on July 19, 2020.

Actually, Fiziev was the replacement fighter in place of Alan Patrick for the main card lightweight match at the “Fight Island” festival. 

As a matter of fact, they fought behind the quarantined doors of the Flash Forum venue. Marc portrayed 73 of his 153 strikes during the bout, while Fiziev had 82 strikes landed from 128.

Alongside the great defensive skills, Fiziev depicted his leg kicks and a cheat-code kick-dodge.

All in all, Fizioev took the win via unanimous decision with scores of 30-28 and 29-28 (twice).

Following it, Fiziev also took the bonus check of $50,000 for producing the Fight of the Night award.

“I’m happy with the win … I’m happy for my second win in the UFC. I have a plan to break his heart, break his body, and show perfect technique, show what I know. And I hope I have no serious injuries, and I hope before the new year I come back again.”
-Rafael Fiziev

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Rafael Fiziev vs. Renato Moicano

In between the tenure of his fights, Rafael had signed his UFC contract for four years on August 5, 2020.

After battles with the global pandemic, Fiziev faced Renato Moicano at UFC 256: Figueiredo vs. Moreno, which also happens to be his last fight. 

Initially, the bout was expected to occur on November 28, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Lewis. However, they rescheduled it as Moicano tested positive for the COVID 19. 

Apparently, the bout was in Las Vegas, Nevada, the United States, which was aired live on Prelims. Altogether, Fiziev claimed the win over Renato via TKO in the first round.

In the meantime, Fiziev also bagged his first Performance of the Night award, which cashed him $50,000.

“Moicano is the toughest opponent to date in my career, and the pressure I have now only given me extra energy. It motivates me to evolve and get better with every training session. I have an extra desire to fight him; I want to prove to myself and the rest of the world that I’m ready to fight and to beat opponents of this level.”
-Rafael Fiziev (before the bout)

Likewise, after the match, Fiziev has yet to enter the octagon. But in an interview, Fiziev expressed how he does not want to fight with friends for his next fight. 

Rafael Fiziev | As a Whole 

Fiziev, as a matter of fact, is a well-rounded fighter whose base foundation stems from Muay Thai. Fighting out of Phuket, Thailand, currently, he trains under George Hickman. 

Not to mention, Fiziev also flaunts a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Stuart Cooper.

Today, he stands with 39 wins in kickboxing among the 47 fights he has indulged in. Amidst the wins, 29 are through knockout, and 8 of them are the losses. 

Advancing his MMA record, Fiziev has maintained nine wins with a loss among his ten fights in total.

Additionally, his wins included six by knockout, two by decision, and one by submission. Apparently, his only loss was through knockout. 

During his timeframe with the UFC, he has bagged Fight of the Night and Performance of The Night once each. 

While every fighter fights and wins for their own single purpose, so does Fiziev has his own.

According to Fiziev, his only purpose at the end of the fight is recognition. Indeed, after the ultimate goal, he believes fame and money are abiding to follow him. 

Besides, he also targets to bag as many as bonuses possible during his fight. 

 “My goal is always to show a beautiful, worthy performance and an exciting fight. I’m focused on bringing exciting performances to the fans and winning bonuses. Ultimately it will lead me to the title anyway.”
-Rafael Fiziev 

In 2021, Rafael Fiziev announced on his Instagram page that he would no longer compete under the flag of Kyrgyzstan.

Net Worth

Currently, the fighter hasn’t disclosed his net worth to the public yet. However, as per the estimation, Rafael Fiziev is expected to have more than $100,000 as his net worth. 

As a matter of fact, most of his earnings come from his fights. Back when he fought with Marc Diakese in Abu Dhabi, Fiziev made almost $78,000, with $12,000 as a guaranteed payout.

Furthermore, he has collected $50,000 as a performance bonus and $12,000 as his winning bonus.

Additionally, he is expected to have $24,000 as his salary per fight. Apparently, his profile also showcases him as a coach; thus, he might even earn from it. 

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Rafael Fiziev | Personal Life 

As an extra surprise, Rafael Fiziev is a registered police officer who graduated from a notable school at the Police Academy of Kyrgyzstan. 

In fact, Fiziev was following his father’s footsteps after he got his degree in Law.

Initially, he worked as a police officer but left it after only working for a month. That was when he gave it up on trying MMA, which he had been training for ten years. 

Consequently, Fiziev was lucky to have a supportive family who fairly allowed his wishes. Thus, in no time, Fiziev was doing what his heart had desired. 

Apart from his octagon’s love, Fiziev indulges himself in blacksmithing. As he opened up, Fiziev was creative with his handwork.

In fact, he stated he loves the cold touch of steel. Besides, Fiziev’s hobby also includes cooking. 

NickName, Ataman, Relationship Status, and Social Media

As per Fiziev, his nickname “Ataman” stands for the word, ‘leader,’ which is often given to Cossack leaders.

People also tend to call him ‘The Matrix fighter’; however, he likes to stick with Ataman. 

Well, Rafael Fiziev is currently single and is not dating anyone. As per his social media profile, he seems to be leading a happy and single life to date. With any new relationship status, we will be updating it soon. 

Furthermore, if you wish to connect through personal uploads, you can check out his social media platforms. 

Rafael Fiziex is on Instagram as @rafael_ataman_fiziev, with 208k followers.

Likewise, he is on Twitter as Rafale “Ataman” Fiziev (@RafaelFiziev), with 12.6k followers. 

Rafael Fiziev | FAQs

What is Rafael Fiziev’s MMA statistic like?

Rafael Fiziev has played a total of twelve games in the MMA field, among which he has had eleven wins and a single loss. His wins consist of seven by knockout, three by decision, and a single by submission, while his single loss is via knockout. 

Likewise, he has played a total of 47 games in his kickboxing career. He has had 39 wins, among which are 29 by knockout, and has eight losses. He has a takedown defense of 95%. 

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