Justin Gaethje secured another hard-fought victory over Rafael Fiziev, winning their UFC 313 lightweight rematch by unanimous decision on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The judges scored the bout 29-28 in Gaethje’s favour across the board.
Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) first defeated Fiziev (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) at UFC 286 in March 2023, and their latest encounter followed a similar pattern. Both fighters engaged in a high-paced striking battle over 15 minutes, but it was Gaethje’s precision and volume in the final round that made the difference.
The turning point came in the second round when Gaethje ducked under a jab, avoided an uppercut, and countered with an uppercut of his own, sending Fiziev to the canvas. Fiziev recovered, but the momentum shifted in Gaethje’s favour.
Fiziev started the third round aggressively, but Gaethje’s relentless pressure and striking output wore him down as the fight progressed. The strong finish swayed the judges, securing Gaethje’s victory in the co-main event.
Originally scheduled to fight Dan Hooker, Gaethje accepted the short-notice rematch after Hooker withdrew due to a hand injury. The 36-year-old had expressed hopes of earning a third UFC lightweight title shot with a win, but it remains unclear whether the promotion will grant his request.
Gaethje came on late once again and held off the slight favorite for his utterly ridiculous 14th post-fight bonus in 14 UFC fights. Only twice has he left the UFC cage without a bonus – but two other times, he’s picked up the ultra-rare double bonus to make up for it.
UFC 313 Results:
• Justin Gaethje def. Rafael Fiziev via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Ignacio Bahamondes def. Jalin Turner via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 2:29
• Amanda Lemos def. Iasmin Lucindo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Mauricio Ruffy def. King Green via knockout (spinning wheel kick) – Round 1, 2:07
• Joshua Van def. Rei Tsuruya via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Brunno Ferreira def. Armen Petrosyan via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 1:27
• Carlos Leal def. Alex Morono via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:16
• Mairon Santos def. Francis Marshall via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
• Ozzy Diaz def. Djorden Santos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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