Fiziev silences two-fight skid with wheel kick knockout of Torres on home soil in Baku

Rafael Fiziev ended a two-fight losing streak with one of the most spectacular finishes of his career, knocking out Manuel Torres with a spinning wheel kick at UFC Baku on Saturday. The stoppage came just 15 seconds into the second round, sending the Azerbaijan crowd into a frenzy.

The first round was competitive, with Fiziev landing a couple of takedowns while Torres kept the exchanges close and landed a sharp jab late in the frame that visibly rocked his opponent. That shot appeared to ignite rather than discourage Fiziev, who came out for Round 2 with clear intent.

The decisive moment arrived quickly. Fiziev landed the spinning wheel kick flush, dropping Torres to the canvas, then followed up with ground-and-pound to force the referee’s stoppage. The official time was 0:15 of Round 2.

An emotional Fiziev (14-5) called for a shot at the BMF championship in his post-fight interview. The win was badly needed — he had gone 1-3 in his previous four outings, including two losses to undisputed lightweight champion Justin Gaethje and a stoppage defeat to Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 325 in January.

For Torres (17-4), it was only the second time in his UFC run that he had made it out of the first round, and just the second time in his entire professional career. The Mexican contender, who had been riding momentum coming into the fight, suffered his second promotional defeat.