Rafael Fiziev Says He Suffered Torn ACL in UFC Fight Night 228 Headliner

As many observers feared, Rafael Fiziev suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his UFC Fight Night 228 loss to Mateusz Gamrot.

The lightweight contender confirmed the injury in a video on social media. Fiziev will likely be out for up to a year during the rehabiliation process.

“I will be back,” Fiziev said. “I’m just sad because I had a very great camp, and I was ready to show my best skills. And I’m sad because it happened only in the second round.

“I can get ready for a loss like that but I’m more than happy, 100 times more happy if it happens in the last round. But I believe I could show in this fight very nice skills. We have plans, but God has different plans. His plan is always the best.”

After a tactical opening round where Fiziev appeared to have gained a slight advantage thanks to his striking and takedown defense, the bout ended at the 2:03 mark of Round 2 when his left knee buckled while throwing a body kick. The 30-year-old Kazakhstan native has lost back-to-back fights in the Octagon following a six-bout winning streak compiled from October 2019 to July 2022.

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