Azerbaijani fighter Rafael Fiziev's victory over Mexico's Manuel Torres in the main event of UFC Baku attracted widespread praise from some of the biggest names in mixed martial arts.
As reported by İdman.Biz, many fighters and analysts took to social media after Fiziev produced a spectacular second-round knockout to announce his return to winning ways.
Among the first to react was former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, who praised Fiziev's impressive finish.
"Wow, what a finish," Muhammad wrote.
He later highlighted the Azerbaijani's elite striking ability.
"Torres will be back. He's a tough dude. People don't realize how good Fiziev's striking is," Muhammad added.
The former champion also suggested an exciting future matchup.
"Fiziev vs. Yair would be fire," he wrote, referring to a potential bout between Fiziev and another Mexican star, Yair Rodriguez.
UFC lightweight Terrance McKinney was equally impressed by the performance.
"Damn, that was nasty! Rafael is back," McKinney posted.
UFC fighter Zac Pauga admitted he had underestimated Fiziev before the fight.
"I always pat myself on the back when I get predictions right, so it's only fair to admit when I'm wrong. I completely counted Fiziev out, but he's still got it," Pauga wrote.
Former UFC fighter and commentator Kenny Florian also praised the way Fiziev started the second round.
"What a start and finish to Round 2 by Fiziev," Florian posted.
UFC lightweight MarQuel Mederos summed up the knockout in just a few words.
"He put him in the ground," Mederos wrote.
Fiziev stopped Torres by knockout in the second round after stunning the Mexican with a spinning strike before finishing him with ground-and-pound. The victory marked an important comeback for the Azerbaijani, putting him back on track in the UFC lightweight division.
Two other Azerbaijani fighters also celebrated victories at UFC Baku. Tahir Abdullaev defeated Brazil's Jefferson Nascimento, while Farman Hasanov earned a win over American Eric Nolan. Meanwhile, Nazim Sadykhov suffered a defeat against Brazil's Matheus Camilo.
