Jimmy Robles
In the headliner of UFC Baku, Rafael Fiziev closed out the show in front of his home crowd with a banger against Manuel Torres. The Azerbaijani was in clear control from the opening round, as he unloaded with leg kicks and scored two takedowns. In the second round, “Ataman” jumped on the attack with a spinning wheel kick that sent Torres down on the canvas. Fiziev finished him off with strikes on the ground to earn a huge knockout victory, which also earned him the Performance of the Night bonus.
Following his win, Fiziev called for his shot at the symbolic “BMF” title. While he may have to work his way back into the top-10 at 155 pounds, his dismantling of Torres was certainly a big statement. We consider several names in the division which would make ideal matchups for Fiziev’s next fight.
Tom Nolan
The native of Queensland, Australia made his UFC debut against Nikolas Motta in 2024. It turned out to be a disastrous night for Tom Nolan as he suffered a first-round TKO defeat. Since then, the 26-year-old Nolan has gone on a stretch of winning five consecutive fights. He is coming off a unanimous decision win over Fares Ziam on June 6. As Fiziev aims to make his statement as a top contender at lightweight, a win over Nolan can keep him on the right track.
Dan Hooker
“The Hangman” is currently in an 0-2 skid, with stoppage losses against Arman Tsarukyan and Benoît Saint-Denis in his last two outings. Prior to the drought, Dan Hooker had won three consecutive fights including a split decision win over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 in August 2024. The native of Australia has fallen off the top-10 but has been in the octagon with some of the biggest names in the division. Due to his veteran experience in the UFC, Hooker can make an ideal matchup for Fiziev’s next opponent.
Renato Moicano
“Money Moicano” had a rough 2025, which included losses to former UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush. He was previously on a stretch of four consecutive wins, along with three stoppages. In April, Renato Moicano snapped the two-fight losing skid with a submission victory over Chris Duncan. Moicano is ranked No. 9 in our lightweight rankings, which can provide Fiziev with a boost in his climb back up the 155-pound ladder.
Mauricio Ruffy
The Brazilian native has compiled an impressive 5-1 record in his UFC run. Only one of Mauricio Ruffy’s wins have gone the full distance. He hit a setback with a submission defeat at the hands of Saint-Denis last September. Since then, he has since won two consecutive fights, most recently a TKO win over Michael Chandler at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14. Ruffy previously met Fiziev at UFC 325 in February. Fiziev had success in the first round, and tagged Ruffy repeatedly with leg kicks. However, Ruffy landed a hard right hand that knocked Fiziev down and ended his night in the second round. Can Fiziev avenge the loss if they meet for a second time?
