Rafael Fiziev Takes Short-Notice Rematch Against Justin Gaethje At UFC 313

Rafael Fiziev has stepped up to save UFC 313’s co-main event.

With a little over a week to prepare, Fiziev has taken a rematch against fellow lightweight contender Justin Gaethje. The bout will serve as the second-last matchup as part of UFC’s March 8th pay-per-view card from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Fiziev is receiving the call to once again face Gaethje after the American’s first opponent, Dan Hooker, withdrew due to a hand injury earlier this week.

The short-notice opportunity has high stakes for Fiziev, who could see himself move up numerous spots in the lightweight standings with a win. The 31-year-old contender has fallen down to 11th place in the standings, leaving his status as one of the division’s top contenders following a pair of losses in 2023.

An impressive streak of six consecutive UFC wins for Fiziev was stopped in March 2023 by Gaethje, who took a majority decision win following a lively three-round “Fight of the Night” clash. Fiziev suffered another loss later that year to former KSW champ Mateusz Gamrot, exiting a five-round bout after just seven minutes due to a leg injury.

The Tiger Muay Thai gym product’s injury in his fight with Gamrot, a torn ACL, kept him out of action for months. It was only by September that he started training, overall missing more than a year due to the setback.

Gaethje is also looking to regain some momentum in Vegas. The former lightweight title challenger is returning just under a year after he suffered a “Knockout of the Year” contender loss against Max Holloway at UFC 300, getting flatlined in the second-last moment of a five-round striking affair.

Despite the brutal loss, Gaethje remains a hot name at lightweight. He’s still placed third in the highly competitive division, still within the orbit of a title shot nearly four years after he first appeared in a matchup for the belt.

When Gaethje was scheduled to face Hooker, the bout was expected to be a five-round co-main event. Unsurprisingly, the last-minute nature of his clash with Fiziev means the new matchup will be just a three-round contest.