Justin Gaethje defeated Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313 to put his name in the hat for a lightweight title shot.
Both men traded heavy blows in their three-round co-main event, but Gaethje landed the more damaging strikes to secure a decision win.
All three judges scored the contest 29-28 in Gaethje’s favour, which subsequently put the American in good stead for things to come.
As the number three ranked UFC lightweight, Justin Gaethje will now be looking upwards for a title shot against current champion Islam Makhachev.
After the fight, Gaethje had nothing but respect for Fiziev, who stepped in to take the fight on short notice.
“He deserves so much credit,” the ex-BMF champion told Joe Rogan in his post-fight interview.
“This sport is f***ing crazy. I’m sure my hand is broken, but that’s one tough son of a b****.”
The 36-year-old didn’t call out Makhachev after the bout, opting to leave it in the hands of Dana White and the UFC.
“I’m third in the world and the most exciting guy that’s stepped in there. It’s up to the UFC,” he added.
Gaethje had already stepped foot inside the Octagon with Azerbaijan’s Fiziev at UFC 286 in 2023.
The pair locked horns in an all-action, bloody affair at London’s O2 Arena, where Gaethje earned a majority decision victory.
Dan Hooker was originally scheduled to fight Gaethje at UFC 313, but pulled out from the bout after a nasty injury to his hand.
tnt sportsGaethje scored a nasty uppercut knockdown in the second round[/caption]
This gifted a golden opportunity to Fiziev, who stepped in to replace Hooker on less than one weeks’ notice.
However, the 33-year-old was unable to better his performance at the first time of asking and ultimately suffered defeat in what was his first fight in 533 days.
