Fiziev’s Knee Explodes, Main Event Ruined

Rafael Fiziev and Mateusz Gamrot are set to square off in a Lightweight contest tonight (Sat., Sept. 23, 2023) at UFC Vegas 79 inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both Lightweights rose to contender status quickly, proving themselves top-tier talent in short fashion. Fiziev gave Justin Gaethje everything he could handle before coughing up a close decision last time out, whereas Gamrot rebounded from his loss to Beneil Dariush by out-hustling Jalin Turner in his most recent appearance. With the Lightweight title up for grabs next month, the division is open for a new contender to break into the mix. A classic style clash with title implications — does it get much better than that?

After a relaxed feeling out process, both men started landing a couple minutes into the round. Gamrot dug a low kick and scored a nice right hand, but Fiziev responded with a ripping four-punch combination. Moments later, Gamrot nearly toppled over Fiziev with a single leg shot, but the Muay Thai striker showed off tremendous balance to stay upright. Fiziev landed some hard shots to the body, kicks and punches alike. Gamrot stuck him with another right hand and a stiff jab, but Fiziev spun him around with a low kick. The rounded ended in a wild takedown scramble, surely a sign of things to come.

Fiziev’s first body kick of the second resulted in a mad dash for the takedown from Gamrot, and this time, he was successful in dragging Fiziev to the floor. Fiziev forced his way back up to his feet along the fence, and he was able to break away back to the center. Immediately, Fiziev fired a body kick, but something went disastrously wrong. Out of nowhere, Fiziev fell to the floor! Something was broken or torn, because Fiziev could not continue to fight.

Based on replays, it appeared that Fiziev’s base leg couldn’t handle the torque of his own kick. He appeared to have torn something in his knee, resulting in the sudden stoppage. That’s a bad bit of luck for the knockout artist, who suffers an unfortunate loss and likely long layoff as a result.

Stay tuned for further updates on his health, but for now, the night belongs to Mateusz Gamrot.

Result: Gamrot defeats Fiziev via second-round injury

For complete UFC Vegas 79: “Fiziev vs. Gamrot” results and play-by-play, click HERE!