Rafael Fiziev had “one step back before sprint up” at UFC 325, according to TUF champion’s teammate

Rafael Fiziev suffered a setback against Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 325, but a teammate of the former predicts a comeback is imminent. Daniil Donchenko is the fighter in question, the TUF champion/UFC main stage debutant has a great history of getting teammates to train at a high level, and he has previously described Fiziev as his brother.

Although he had a rough night at the office against Mauricio Ruffy, Fiziev is still one of the best lightweights in the world despite the recent victory drought in the octagon. When laying out his thoughts on that UFC 325 lightweight bout between Fiziev and Ruffy, Donchenko said: [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

“I mean, it was a great fight. Rafael started to show that he’s over, you know. He had so much confidence, he was going forward from the start, and I could tell Mauricio was kind of thinking, you know, he doesn’t have to do what he should do in the first round. Because Rafael was doing too many heavy shots and heavy punches, and then only in the second round, it was like one mistake by Rafael.”

“Mauricio was special and he took his chance and we all see what happened. But you know one thing: it’s like I say, it’s like poker: you can win the whole fight and just one shot, you know. Just one shot can change everything, but I still think, you know, he has this sometimes; like before he had three losses, but you know these three losses, it’s one loss against Justin Gaethje with a sick fight, who is now a champion, interim champion.”

“Second time he lost, he got hurt. He won the fight. He hurt you, you know, and then he had to fly six days on short notice from Thailand to the US. Remember, you’ve got 30 hours planned, you know. 30 hours and then you have to fight in Las Vegas in the desert. It was another sick fight and he almost beat Justin Gaethje again, you know. Yeah, sure, he had three losses in a row before, but you see, this lose, it’s crazy and then he beat [Ignacio] Bahamonden.”

Rafael Fiziev is a “more complete fighter than Ruffy, than Benoit St Denis, than Hooker,” said Donchenko

Donchenko further delved into the Rafael Fiziev vs. Mauricio Ruffy fight in the broader context of where Fiziev fits in the overall landscape at 155 pounds in the UFC. [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

“He showed that he can be a very smart fighter and with Mauricio Ruffy he was really good, you know. Like I said, it’s like poker and I really know he can come back and move forward and move forward. He’s still young, you know. Justin Gaethje, now 37 and he becomes interim champion again. So Rafael has at least five years. So I’m so excited to see his fights again. It makes sense to me to see his fight against it [Dan] Whore and who is there?

“Maybe rematch with [Mateusz] Gamrot like I don’t know. But he is actually more; for me he really is a more complete fighter than Ruffy, than Benoit St Denis, than Hooker. He just loves; it was like it wasn’t his day. But he’s more of a skills fighter. Because I know how he can wrestle, how he can grapple and how he can punch. Let’s see. It’s like taking a step back before a sprint up [laughs].”