Rafael Fiziev stops Brad Riddell in his tracks via 3rd round TKO
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Las Vegas, Nevada once again tonight, December 4, 2021, for UFC on ESPN 31, headlined by former multi-time WEC & UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, who faces fellow top ranked bantamweight contender Rob Font in the main event of the evening.
Co-headlining the event is a pair of kickboxing champions in Brad Riddell and Rafael Fiziev, both of which are looking to make it five-straight inside the octagon.
Riddell is riding an impressive 7 fight win streak while Fiziev is also riding a streak of his own, taking his last 4. A win in this bout will push either fighter one step closer to the top 10 tier, as they’re both pushing the brink.
Continue reading to see how this bout went down:
Round 1: Both fighters take several moments to feel the other out. Riddell commits first and the two play tit-for-tat with their punching for the first minutes. They trade hard body kicks in the middle of the round, mixing it up with thudding points h yes. Fixiev had Riddell on his back foot for the final minute, cutting corners to keep Riddell on the fence. Riddell does a beautiful job counter punching his way out of dangerous situations landing hard punch combos to close the round.
MyMMANews scores round 1 Rafael Fiziev. 10-9
Round 2: Riddell starts the round chopping at Fiziev’s legs. Fiziev gets right back in the mix with hard punches finding their mark. Riddell switches stances to get a different look, landing several harder punches. Fiziev lands a step-in elbow that cuts Riddell above his right eye. Riddell shows concern, staying calculated when firing his combos. Fiziev looks to stay ahead of Riddell’s hesitation by pushing the pace as the second bell sounds.
MyMMANews scores round 2 for Rafael Fiziev. 10-9
Round 3: Neither fighter wastes any time getting after it, both swinging for the fence from the bell. Riddell switches levels to score a quick takedown but knows he won’t keep control and stands. Fiziev comes forward, throwing bombs, trying to put his foe away. With time winding down, Riddell attempts to circle off the fence as Fiziev throws a perfectly timed spinning wheel kick, landing flush on the chin of Riddell and stopping him in his tracks. Clearly out on his feet, the referee wisely calls a halt to the contest to avoid further damage.
Official result: Rafael Fiziev defeats Brad Riddell via TKO at 2:20 of round 3. (Spinning wheel kick)
Click here to see results for all 13 bouts tonight.
