Rafael Fiziev gets wish, meets Justin Gaethje at UFC 286 in London

Rafael Fiziev will get the step up in competition he’s been looking for in the form of a showdown with Justin Gaethje at UFC 286.

Fiziev (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), who has won six consecutive fights in the lightweight division, is set to take on former UFC interim champ Gaethje (23-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) at the March 18 event in London. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

MMA Junkie verified verbal agreements are in place with multiple people close to the matchup following an initial report from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. The people requested anonymity because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Additionally, Gaethje confirmed he’s in for the matchup when asked on social media (via Twitter):

I’m in.

— Justin Gaethje (@Justin_Gaethje) January 15, 2023

Fiziev’s winning streak, which dates back to October 2019, includes notable names like Renato Moicano, Bobby Green, Brad Riddell and, most recently, former UFC champ Rafael dos Anjos.

Gaethje will return to action for the first time since he fell short of UFC gold against then-champ Charles Oliveira at UFC 274 in May 2022. He suffered a broken nose in the fight and after surgery is prepared to step back in the octagon.

The latest UFC 286 lineup now includes:

• Rafael Fiziev vs. Justin Gaethje
• Roman Dolidze vs. Marvin Vettori
• Gunnar Nelson vs. Daniel Rodriguez
• Luana Carolina vs. Joanne Wood
• Malcolm Gordon vs. Jake Hadley
• Jennifer Maia vs. Casey O’Neill
• Jai Herbert vs. Ludovit Klein
• Lerone Murphy vs. Nathaniel Wood
• Chris Duncan vs. Michal Figlak
• Veronica Macedo vs. Juliana Miller

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 286.