The main event of UFC Vegas 58 was a five-round battle between Rafael Fiziev and Rafael dos Anjos. By knocking out the Brazilian in the first few seconds of the fifth round, Fiziev sent a powerful message.
However, many MMA fans were not pleased with the fight’s conclusion since they thought it was halted too soon.
Mark Smith really RDA who has been known for his great chin and hanging in there didnt even give him a chance such an early stoppage unreal #UFCVegas58 #UFC #MMATwitter #MMA
— ASH ATF (@Ashley_Easton14) July 10, 2022
The bantamweight UFC champion Aljamain Sterling offered his opinion as well. According to him, referee Mark Smith ought to have given the bout a bit more time to develop:
“Mark’s usually one of the better refs but that stoppage was way too quick. Tough break. Wish we got to see if RDA could recover. Rough ending to a great fight.”
Marks usually one of the better refs but that stoppage was way too quick. Tough break. Wish we got to see if RDA could recover. Rough ending to a great fight. #UFCVegas58
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) July 10, 2022
Despite the backing of the crowd, dos Anjos does not agree that the bout was stopped early. In a backstage conversation with Charly Arnolt, the Brazilian repeated the same thing:
“I don’t think so. I gotta re-watch the tape but I don’t think so. He won fair and square.”
During his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping, Rafael Fiziev surprised the MMA crowd by challenging tennis player Rafael Nadal to a duel.
However, Fiziev became serious and challenged Justin Gaethje to a bout at the press conference after the fight:
“I wanna fight with Gaethje… If you’re ready, if you’re not scared, if you don’t take s**t, let’s go.”
Fiziev has won six straight matches. This includes wins over Renato Moicano, Bobby Green, and Brad Riddell. On the hand, Gaethje recently suffered a defeat to Charles Oliveira in a championship match at UFC 274.
A matchup between Gaethje and Fiziev seems logical on paper and would definitely be exciting for MMA fans all around the globe.