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Rising UFC star Rafael Fiziev KOs Rafael dos Anjos, issues bizarre call-out to tennis star Rafael Nadal

  • Rafael Fiziev scored the biggest win of his career on Sunday when he finished Rafael dos Anjos in Las Vegas
  • The rising lightweight, who traded barbs with Conor McGregor this week, challenged tennis great Rafa Nadal to a fight

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Rafael Fiziev celebrates after his knockout victory over Rafael Dos Anjos. Photo: Zuffa LLC

Rafael Fiziev announced himself as a new lightweight star in the UFC on Sunday, finishing seasoned veteran Rafael dos Anjos at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

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Fiziev, the first Azerbaijan athlete to compete in the UFC, delivered in the biggest fight of his UFC career, as he knocked out former lightweight champion in the fifth round.

In a bizarre twist, Fiziev then used his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping to challenge another Rafa to a fight – tennis great Rafael Nadal.

“Now we know who is the best Rafael in the UFC. Now I want to make new challenge who is the best Rafael in the sport. Rafael Nadal, come here, come here,” he said.

Fiziev was so confident in his abilities he added that he could also beat Nadal at his own sport. All jokes aside, his victory over the former lightweight champion earned him a US$50,000 performance bonus and a likely bump in the division’s rankings.

Rafael Fiziev on the way to his sixth consecutive UFC win during UFC Fight Night. Photo: Zuffa LLC
Rafael Fiziev on the way to his sixth consecutive UFC win during UFC Fight Night. Photo: Zuffa LLC

Fiziev cruised through the first three rounds but it appeared he was starting to slow down after dos Anjos started forging a comeback in the fourth. All that changed when he unleashed a brutal left hook that whipped dos Anjos’ head around and sent him crashing to the canvas.

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