RAFAEL FIZIEV AND MANUEL TORRES SET TO COLLIDE IN A LIGHTWEIGHT SHOWDOWN ON JUNE 27 IN BAKU

Baku, Azerbaijan: UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organisation, returns to Baku with a thrilling lightweight bout as No. 9 ranked lightweight Rafael Fizievtakes on No. 14 ranked knockout star Manuel Torres on Saturday, 27 June, at the National Gymnastics Arena.

Tickets for UFC® FIGHT NIGHT: FIZIEV vs TORRES go on sale at 10 a.m. AZT/7 a.m. BST on Friday, May 15 via iTicket. Fight Club members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets early at 10 a.m. AZT/7 a.m. BST on Wednesday, May 13, whilst those who registered their interest early in this event will gain access at 10 a.m. AZT/7 a.m. BST on Thursday, May 14.

Following a successful debut event in 2025, UFC returns with all the action to Baku, bringing combat sports fans another high stakes showdown inside the Octagon®. With elite athletes from across the globe, the night is gearing up to be a must-see event for both longtime and new UFC fans in the region.

Fan favourite Fiziev (13-5, out of Phuket, Thailand) returns to action with his explosive striking and elite Muay Thai knockout power. The lightweight contender boasts memorable finishes over Rafael Dos Anjos and Brad Riddell. After a unanimous decision win over Ignacio Bahamondes in Baku last June, the No. 9-ranked lightweight looks to thrill the crowd in Azerbaijan once more.

Torres (17-3, fighting out of Ciudad Madera, Chihuahua, Mexico) has quickly established himself as a standout contender, having ended 16 of his 17 wins in the first round. Torres earned a Fight Night bonus in all five of his UFC wins, delivering highlight-reel stoppages over Grant Dawson, Drew Dober and Nikolas Motta, he looks to continue his rise in the lightweight ranks.  

In the co-main event, knockout artist Shara Magomedov (16-1, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) faces Michel Pereira (32-14, 2 NC fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in a high-energy middleweight clash. Both athletes are known for their unorthodox striking styles, promising to make this one of the most entertaining bouts of the night.

Additional bouts on the card include:

  • Hometown hero Nazim Sadykhov (11-2-1, fighting out of Las Vegas, by way of Baku, Azerbaijan) locks horns with Matheus Camilo (10-3-0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in a lightweight bout.
  • In the flyweight division, Asu Almabayev (23-3, fighting out of Almaty, Kazakhstan) meets Charles Johnson (19-8, fighting out of Orlando, Florida) in a clash of ranked contenders.
  • Middleweight contenders collide as Ikram Aliskerov(17-2, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) meets Brunno Ferreira (15-3, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil).
  • Abus Magomedov (28-7-1, fighting out of Düsseldorf, Germany) faces Michal Oleksiejczuk(22-9,1 NC  fighting out of Barki, Poland) in a middleweight bout.
  • Undefeated light heavyweightAdul Rakhman Yakhyaev(9-0, fighting out of Turkey) looks to keep his perfect record intact againstJulius Walker(7-2, fighting out of Springfield, Missouri).
  • UFC debutant Farman Hasanov (5-0, fighting out of Baku, Azerbaijan) takes on Eric Nolan (8-4, fighting out of Edison, New Jersey) in a welterweight bout.
  • Ismail Naurdiev (25-8, fighting out of Rabat, Morocco) will take on Marvin Vettori (19-9-1, fighting out of Mezzocorona, Italy) in a middleweight matchup.
  • Another middleweight bout sees Nursulton Ruziboev (36-9-2, 2 NC fighting out of Tashkent, Uzbekistan) face Andrey Pulyaev (10-3, fighting out of Novosibirsk, Russia).
  • In the welterweight division, Daniil Donchenko (14-2, fighting out of Korosten, Ukraine) takes on Andreas Gustafsson (12-3, fighting out of Gävle, Sweden).
  • Bantamweights Bekzat Almakhan(12-3, fighting out of Almaty, Kazakhstan) and Jean Matsumoto (17-2, fighting out of Braganca Paulista, Sao Paulo, Brazil) meet in a high-paced showdown.

With UFC’s history of sellout events, fans are advised to register their interest early at ufc.com/Baku to secure their seats for this highly anticipated event and to follow @UFC on social media for the latest updates.

-ENDS-

About UFC®

UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and approximately 363 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world while distributing programming to more than 1 billion broadcast and digital households across more than 210 countries and territories. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC and @UFC on X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok: @UFC.