Rafael Fiziev is competing in a dream fight this weekend.
Fiziev vs. Rafael dos Anjos is finally going down at UFC Vegas 58. The pair of lightweights were supposed to headline a fight night in February, and after some visa issues, the fight got pushed to UFC 272. COVID-19, unfortunately, put a halt to the fight, and it was scrapped. Five months later and they are finally fighting in a five-round main event.
Dream fight
For Fiziev, he says it is a dream fight to face RDA.
In an interview on the MMA Hour, Fiziev explained why.
“Because it’s the main event and because I fight with a former champion. I fight with Rafa he’s a very famous fighter, he’s like a legend,” Fiziev said. “He has had more five-round fights than all my fights in my career. That’s why for me, this is a dream fight.”
Response to Conor McGregor
On Tuesday, Conor McGregor praised a clip of Fiziev doing his infamous ‘lean back’ move in his fights. However, while he gave praise, McGregor also gave some advice to which Fiziev shut down.
“This is awesome,” McGregor wrote. “Change the roundhouse to an axe kick. Roundhouse into an axe kick and this defense eats the full of the heel. I’m telling you. If their reaction to a high kick is this, implement the axe.”
This is awesome. Change the roundhouse to an axe kick. Roundhouse into and axe kick and this defense eats the full of the heel.
I’m telling you. If their reaction to a high kick is this, implement the axe. https://t.co/Nxg0BemzoO— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 6, 2022
Conor, I invite you to @tigermuaythai where we can show you how to kick and defend the kicks properly so you can stop living in fantasy world where you think it’s possible to land an axe kick in this situation https://t.co/N6BQ89Ssyx
— Rafael “Ataman” Fiziev (@RafaelFiziev) July 6, 2022
In the same interview on the MMA Hour, Fiziev explained why he shut down McGregor’s advice.
“Have you seen the movie Interstellar? …This is a fantasy world. When I do the lean back, this is my reaction for high kicks. If you make ax kick, I will make a different reaction. My lean back is only a reaction to a high kick,” Fiziev said. “You cannot change how you start your high kick, and then halfway change into an ax kick. Bro, this is crazy! That’s why I was like ‘what you’re talking about.’ If you are going to change your kick halfway from a high kick, you need like two-meter tall legs.”
With as much kickboxing experience as Fiziev has, I would probably believe him over McGregor, but hey, to each their own.
Fiziev faces RDA this Saturday.
