Video: Azerbaijan Explodes For Returning RIZIN Champ

Photo by Masashi Hara/Getty Images

I’ve learned more about geography from mixed martial arts (MMA) than I ever did in high school or college, so let me first start by extending my thanks to promotions like Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and RIZIN Fighting Federation for improving my awful American education.

Newly-released video of Tofiq Musayev returning home to Azerbaijan shows one of the most epic hero’s welcomes in recent memory, complete with dance routines, live music, and screaming fans. It’s the kind of moment every fighter dreams of at some point in his or her career.

Check it out:

Musayev (18-3) captured the RIZIN lightweight grand prix title by turning away Brazilian “Pitbull,” Patricky Freire, earlier this week in Saitama, Japan, a victory preceded by tournament wins over Damien Brown and Johnny Case.

Defeating Freire marked Musayev’s 14th straight win dating back to late 2015, a streak that includes a staggering 12 knockout finishes. Expect big things from this lightweight phenom in 2020 and beyond.