Rafael Fiziev vs Mateusz Gamrot Prediction: Expecting an Early Victory

On the night of September 24, the UFC Vegas 79 tournament will occur in the United States. Azerbaijan's Rafael Fiziev will share the octagon with Poland's Mateusz Gamrot in the main event. Fisiev is ranked sixth in the UFC lightweight division, while Gamrot is ranked seventh.

Rafael Fiziev comes from Thai boxing, having successfully adapted his striking skills to MMA. His wrestling could have been better at first, but over time, Rafael has improved. Now, it takes more work to get him on the ground and even more so to catch him in a submission.

Fiziev made his UFC debut in 2019 with a setback, but then he fixed things and claimed six straight striking victories. The league then elevated him to the top and gave him a fight with Justin Gaethje, a win that could even allow him to claim a title shot.

The fight with another similarly badass puncher was very bloody and close. The judges favored the American by split decision, which displeased many experts. An unprecedented thing happened - Gaethje got so many punches that he tried (unsuccessfully) to transfer the confrontation to the ground. Rafael stopped these attempts at the root.

Gamrot's path in MMA is very similar to Fiziev's. He debuted in the UFC with a loss, then won five consecutive bouts, and got a "fight of a lifetime" with Beneil Dariush but failed.

Before the UFC, the Pole was the champion of Europe's biggest league, KSW, defending his title several times. One might know him for stopping Arman Tsarukyan, who was on his way to a title shot, sweeping everyone in his path.

Mateusz Gamrot scored a controversial win over Jalin Turner in his last bout.

One will try to nail his opponent in standing, and the other will try to move in a parterre, but this is not a classic wrestler vs. puncher confrontation. Fiziev can wrestle now, and Gamrot will somehow test himself on the feet against a top kickboxer.

Rafael's striking is so varied, but we can say one thing for sure - the Pole will have an advantage on the ground. Of course, he will not be able to finish Rafa - Mateusz is not a finisher, but he will miss a lot more in standing.