UFC Baku Fight Night: Fiziev and Torres Headline Explosive Card in Azerbaijan
The UFC returns to Baku, Azerbaijan, on Saturday, June 27, with an action-packed Fight Night event at the National Gymnastics Arena. The lightweight main event features hometown favorite Rafael Fiziev taking on Mexico’s Manuel Torres in a crucial bout that could shape the division’s future.
Fiziev enters the contest under pressure after winning just one of his last five fights. Once ranked among the UFC’s top lightweights, the 13-5 fighter is looking to revive his career after recent defeats to Justin Gaethje and Mauricio Ruffy.
Standing in his way is the fast-rising Manuel Torres (17-3), currently ranked No. 13 in the lightweight division. Since earning a UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, Torres has compiled a 5-1 UFC record and earned five Performance of the Night bonuses. Known for his explosive style, every one of his UFC fights has ended in the first round.
The co-main event will see Sharabutdin Magomedov face Michel Pereira in an exciting middleweight clash. Other notable fights on the main card include Nazim Sadykhov vs. Matheus Camilo, Asu Almabayev vs. Charles Johnson, Ikram Aliskerov vs. Brunno Ferreira, and Abusupiyan Magomedov vs. Michał Oleksiejczuk.
The preliminary card features Farman Hasanov vs. Eric Nolan, Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev vs. Julius Walker, Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Andrey Pulyaev, Kaan Ofli vs. Javier Reyes, Daniil Donchenko vs. Theodor Berggren, Bekzat Almakhan vs. Jean Matsumoto, and Tahir Abdullayev vs. Jefferson Nascimento.
The event begins with the preliminary card at 9:00 a.m. ET, while the main card starts at 12:00 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the entire event live on Paramount+.
With Fiziev fighting to keep his place among the UFC’s elite and Torres aiming to break into title contention, the main event promises high stakes and plenty of fireworks.
