Rafael Fiziev is officially back in the game.
The UFC lightweight contender recently shared with MMA Fighting that he has resumed full training following a torn ACL injury sustained during his fight against Mateusz Gamrot in September 2023.
Now, all that’s left is for the UFC to make the call, according to Fiziev himself.
In an interview with MMA Fighting, Fiziev provided an update on his recovery, stating, “Oh, recovery [has been] going good. Straight away after the fight I [had] the surgery. So now it’s almost one year, and my knee is good. It’s going good, second time is like a little bit [slower] than the first time. But, yeah, that’s good. It’s still good now, I’m feeling good.
“I can’t wait to come back, and I hope I can come back before new year. [I’ve been training] already, I’m doing the sparring, all of the same routine like everybody [else in the gym does] when I come back home. And yeah, ready to hear some names from the UFC.
Fiziev, who previously recovered from a similar injury, expressed that he currently has “no limitations” in his training sessions.
Despite being sidelined for a period of time, Fiziev admitted that going 0-2 in 2023, including a loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 286, has been a difficult experience for him.
Moreover, Fiziev has been critical of the lightweight division’s recent performances, describing it as “boring.” However, the lack of fight offers has been the most surprising aspect for him.
“You know what? You know what I want to say? Why nobody called me to fight,” Fiziev questioned. “I’m f*cking No. 10, or what, No .9 now, and still nobody [says], ‘Hey, bro, let’s fight, you not fight one year, or this, or this, or this.’ I’m waiting [for] somebody to call me [out for a] fight.
“Why nobody? No. 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, where are these guys?”
Fiziev, with a record of 6-3 in the octagon, has secured victories against notable opponents such as Renato Moicano, Bobby Green, and Rafael dos Anjos. The No. 11 ranked lightweight in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings is eager to return to action and is open to facing any opponent, including Beneil Dariush and Dan Hooker.
Now cleared for competition, Fiziev is prepared to take on any challenge that comes his way. However, he has a particular interest in matchups against Dariush and Hooker.
“So I’m ready to right now — I’m ready to fight November, December and [December would be perfect],” Fiziev stated. “And honestly, [I’ll fight] anybody. I’m ready to fight with anybody, but I have few names because nobody called me to the fight.
“I want to fight Beneil because he also [hasn’t had a fight in a] long time, and I think, also you have to show to the fans and show to everybody, [if he deserves] his place or not — and also, me too. I understand that I also have to show to everybody, and to UFC, to fans, to fighters, to everybody, I have to show like I deserve my place on this division.
“Also, Hooker. He [talked] a bit about me like a few times. Now [would] you want to fight me? I’m ready now, Mr. Tattoo. If you want to fight, we can do good show. I believe that if are fighting, when the cage closes, me and you in the cage, we can make like holy hell in the cage if we stand in there together.
“With Beneil, yeah, I want to fight him so much, also, but I understand if we are going to the cage [to] fight with him, is it’s not [the same] hell like if we fight with Hooker. But both guys, I really, really, really want to fight against [one of those guys].”
Another potential matchup that excites Fiziev is a rematch against Gamrot, as he believes he was gaining momentum in their previous fight before the injury. Fiziev is confident in his abilities and is eager to prove himself in the octagon once again.
“Like I said, I want to fight with anybody. Make some name [in] front of me. I just want to come back and I want to fight. The [perfect fights] are Hooker and Beneil.”