Following Rafael Fiziev’s loss to Brazilian fighter Mauricio Ruffy at the recent UFC 325 event, Azerbaijani fighters have found themselves in an uncomfortable situation.
All three Azerbaijani representatives in the American promotion lost their most recent bouts. Fiziev was beaten by Ruffy, Nazim Sadykhov suffered defeat against France’s Fares Ziam, while Tofiq Musayev was unsuccessful in his UFC debut against Kyrgyz fighter Myktybek Orolbay. Idman.Biz takes a closer look at where Azerbaijani fighters currently stand in the UFC and what they must do to improve their situation.
When status begins to slip away
Rafael Fiziev’s defeat to Ruffy at UFC 325 in Sydney was particularly damaging in terms of the signal it sent to the organisation. The fight ended via technical knockout in the second round. The numbers are now stark: the 32-year-old Fiziev, who turns 33 on March 5, has lost four of his last five UFC fights. This is the kind of run that inevitably changes how matchmakers view a fighter, even one who previously enjoyed strong credibility and a high-profile name.
Health has also played a crucial role. Before the Ruffy loss, Fiziev’s previous TKO defeat came as a result of a leg injury against Mateusz Gamrot on September 23, 2023, when the bout was stopped due to damage. Such episodes do not pass without consequences for Fiziev’s style. His strengths were built around speed, angle changes and footwork, but after knee and leg injuries, even a slight drop in mobility makes him just a bit slower. In the lightweight division, that small difference is often enough for opponents to engage earlier and with greater force.
As a result, his next fight becomes potentially decisive, not in terms of ending his career, but in terms of status. Another loss could cement his role as a big name used to build momentum for emerging prospects.
To relaunch his career, Fiziev must act quickly and pragmatically. He needs to fully restore his health so he can move freely for all 15 minutes, become more versatile by improving his grappling, select an opponent who allows him to regain control of the pace, and prove to the UFC that he can still win not only in spectacular fashion, but also in a disciplined and calculated way through defence and risk management.
Responding to the first serious setback
Nazim Sadykhov starts from a different position. He is still building his reputation in the UFC, which means every defeat has a stronger impact on how he is perceived within the system. His latest fight ended in a loss to Ziam on December 6, 2025. Prior to that setback, he had put together a run that helped build momentum, including a TKO win over Nicolas Motta and an earlier bout against Ismael Bonfim that was stopped on the doctor’s advice.
At 31, Sadykhov now needs to avoid breaking himself mentally by trying to prove the loss was a fluke. Instead, he must address specific issues: better energy distribution across rounds, more cautious exchanges against the cage, and the ability to switch to clinch work or wrestling when opponents begin to read his rhythm. His next fight could be decisive. Two losses in a row at this stage often shift a fighter from the “prospect” category into the “unstable” one.
The most sensible scenario is a bout against an opponent of a similar level from the middle of the division, where Sadykhov can secure a confident, disciplined win and show progress. Only after that should bigger names come into play. The road to the lightweight top 10 requires a streak, and Nazim needs exactly that, not just one impressive night.
A fight with no margin for error
Tofiq Musayev faces the toughest situation due to age and timing. In his UFC debut on June 21, 2025, he lost to Myktybek Orolbay via first-round submission in Baku. After such a defeat, there is very little time left for adaptation. He is the oldest of the three, and in the UFC that usually means a much shorter window of expectations. From a 36-year-old newcomer, results are often expected immediately, not after several adjustment fights.
Against this background, a potential bout against Brazilian fighter Samuel Sanches at a UFC event in Las Vegas in April this year could be pivotal for his career. A victory would allow Musayev to stay in the game, remove the negative label attached to his debut, and shift the conversation towards strategy and development rather than survival. Another loss, however, could prove fatal for his UFC story. Not because he would suddenly become a weak fighter, but because the organisation tends to act pragmatically. Age combined with a 0–2 start in the UFC usually leads to a sharp narrowing of opportunities and a real risk of losing a roster spot.
The point of no return
In the UFC lightweight division, mistakes are costly and injuries even more so, as there is no time for long breaks or slow rebuilding. Every appearance in the Octagon becomes more than just another fight. It is a test of a fighter’s place within the system.
For Fiziev, the key question is whether he can quickly and intelligently restart his career, regain control of his style and prove that the downturn was the result of circumstances rather than the beginning of irreversible decline. For Nazim, the most important factor is his response to the first major defeat, as these moments separate fighters with real growth potential from those who remain stuck in an in-between status. For Tofiq, the next fight may represent a true point of no return, determining whether his UFC journey continues or remains a short chapter.
This is the true meaning of the current situation for Azerbaijani MMA in the UFC. It is not about a single setback, but about whether these fighters can overcome the most difficult stage of their careers, the moment when every decision, every walk to the cage and every result begins to work either for their future or against it.
