The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s lightweight division will see two rising contenders face off in an attempt to distinguish themselves in the rankings. Rafael Fiziev and Mateusz Gamrot will go head-to-head in the UFC Fight Night 228 main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The winner will move one step closer to an elusive title shot at 155 pounds.
Fiziev has an impressive record of six wins in seven outings, representing the Kill Cliff Fight Club. He last competed at UFC 286, where he lost a majority decision against former World Series of Fighting champion Justin Gaethje on March 18. Gamrot, on the other hand, enters the Octagon with victories in five of his past six assignments. The American Top Team export last fought on March 4, when he claimed a split decision over Jalin Turner at UFC 285.
Rafael Fiziev’s Stats
Fiziev, born in Korday, Kazakhstan on March 5, 1993, is 30 years old. He has won eight fights by knockout or technical knockout, accounting for 67% of his career total (12). His list of UFC victims includes Rafael dos Anjos, Brad Riddell, and Renato Carneiro. Fiziev owns one other victory by submission (8%) and three more by decision (25%). He needed only 58 seconds to defeat Nandin-Erdene Munguntsooj with a head kick and follow-up punches at a Road Fighting Championship event on Dec. 23, 2017. This remains his fastest finish to date. Fiziev has earned $300,000 in post-fight bonuses across his eight appearances in the UFC, with three “Fight of the Night” and three “Performance of the Night” awards. The two opponents who have defeated Fiziev, Gaethje and Magomed Mustafaev, have a combined record of 39-7, equating to a cumulative winning percentage of .848.
Mateusz Gamrot’s Stats
Gamrot, born on Dec. 11, 1990, in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, is 32 years old. He has won five fights by submission, accounting for 23% of his career total (22). His methods of choice include two heel hooks, one guillotine choke, one keylock, and one kimura. Gamrot also holds seven other wins by knockout or technical knockout (32%) and ten more by decision (45%). He spent 1,574 days as the KSW lightweight champion, capturing the title with a unanimous decision over Mansour Barnaoui at KSW 35 on May 27, 2016. Gamrot successfully defended his title four times before vacating it to sign with the UFC on Sept. 17, 2020. Throughout his professional mixed martial arts career, Gamrot has completed 68 rounds and has gone the distance in 12 different occasions, holding a 10-2 record in those bouts. The two opponents who have beaten Gamrot, Beneil Dariush, and Guram Kutateladze, have a cumulative winning percentage of .784, with a combined record of 34-9-1.
As Fiziev and Gamrot prepare for their highly anticipated showdown in Sin City, the numbers accompanying their careers show that both fighters have the skills and determination to put on an exciting and competitive fight.