The night in Baku was packed with explosive finishes and definitive performances. In total, there were nine finishes (many highlight-reel worthy), four submissions (one super rare and another just plain spooky), and one massively charged crowd. Let’s talk MMA.
Key Facts At A Glance
- Main event: Rafael Fiziev def. Manuel Torres via KO (wheel kick and punches), Round 2, 0:15
- Co-main event: Shara Magomedov def. Michel Pereira via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
- Nine of 13 bouts ended inside the distance (five KO/TKO, four submissions)
- Performance of the Night ($100,000 each): Rafael Fiziev, Asu Almabayev, Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev, Daniil Donchenko
- Finish Bonus ($25,000 each): Matheus Camilo, Abus Magomedov, Nursulton Ruziboev, Kaan Ofli, Tahir Abdullayev
- Venue: National Gymnastics Arena, Baku, Azerbaijan
Who Won At UFC Baku? Full Results
Rafael Fiziev dazzled the home crowd with a second-round TKO victory over Manuel Torres. This one will go down as one of the best of his career.
Fiziev dropped Torres with a spinning wheel kick moments into round two, then swarmed for the finish at the 0:15 mark of the UFC main event. The win snapped a 1-4 slide over his last five, and he immediately called for a BMF title shot, revealing afterward that a Torres jab had left him fighting through double vision.
Here is how every bout in Baku played out:
- Rafael Fiziev def. Manuel Torres via KO (wheel kick, punches), R2, 0:15
- Shara Magomedov def. Michel Pereira via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
- Matheus Camilo def. Nazim Sadykhov via TKO (punches), R1, 1:31
- Asu Almabayev def. Charles Johnson via submission (Suloev stretch), R3, 3:33
- Ikram Aliskerov def. Brunno Ferreira via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
- Abus Magomedov def. Michal Oleksiejczuk via submission (guillotine), R1, 3:25
- Farman Hasanov def. Eric Nolan via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
- Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev def. Julius Walker via KO (punch), R1, 0:08
- Nursulton Ruziboev def. Andrey Pulyaev via submission (rear-naked choke), R1, 3:58
- Kaan Ofli def. Javier Reyes via submission (arm-triangle), R1, 4:16
- Daniil Donchenko def. Theodor Berggren via TKO (head kick, punches), R2, 1:35
- Jean Matsumoto def. Bekzat Almakhan via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
- Tahir Abdullayev def. Jefferson Nascimento via TKO (strikes), R3, 4:28
Which Fighters Earned UFC Baku Bonuses?
The race for any of the four $100K bonuses was tight on a night with several memorable finishes. However, Fiziev, Asu Almabayev, Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev and Daniil Donchenko earned the extra cash for their work.
No Fight of the Night was handed out. Instead, five more fighters, Matheus Camilo, Abus Magomedov, Nursulton Ruziboev, Kaan Ofli and Tahir Abdullayev, collected $25,000 finish bonuses, making for one of the more rewarding UFC Fight Night cards in recent months.
What Were The Best UFC Baku Finishes And Highlights?
I know how crazy UFC Freedom 250 was and I’m not trying to insinuate UFC Baku was a better card overall. However, from a crowd-excitement standpoint and pure finish appeal, this card could hold its own against any event.
It’s hard to pick the best finishes, but Almabayev’s Suloev Stretch over a respected ranked opponent like Johnson was crazy. Yakhyaev’s 8-second KO stands out, too, and could likely lead to Julius Walker’s release from the promotion. There was a lot.
What’s Next For Rafael Fiziev And UFC Baku’s Winners?
Fiziev called for a fight with Charles Oliveira for the BMF title. However, that might be tough to get considering Oliveira wants to challenge Justin Gaethje for the UFC title to unify the two belts. Magomedov wants Israel Adesanya and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be able to get the free-falling UFC legend.
A signature win like this should also nudge Fiziev back up the lightweight rankings after a rough stretch. Yakhyaev (now 3-0 in the UFC with all first-round finishes) and Donchenko (three straight wins) leave Baku as legitimate prospects to track.