“Never fight again” – Justin Gaethje signs ‘violent’ pact with Rafael Fiziev after UFC 313 war

Short-notice opponent Rafael Fiziev received a flurry of praise from Justin Gaethje for delivering an impressive performance at UFC 313.

“Never fight again” – Justin Gaethje signs ‘violent’ pact with Rafael Fiziev after UFC 313 war

Justin Gaethje commends Rafael Fiziev's efforts at UFC 313 (Image via UFC)

The co-main event of UFC 313 was arguably one of the buzzing topics in the last few days in the community. While Dan Hooker was originally scheduled to fight against Justin Gaethje, he pulled out due to injury. As a result, former rival Rafael Fiziev stepped up on the occasion after a long wait since his last UFC fight outing.

Right from the start, Justin Gaethje showcased steady movements. Meanwhile, Rafael Fiziev took advantage of the early moments of the fight. However, after 15 minutes of intense and brutal exchanges, Gaethje emerged as the victor. Although the UFC community craves a rematch, the American fighter delivered disappointing news right after the fight, stating that he does not want to face Fiziev again.

Come train, let’s train together. Let’s never fight again unless it’s for a belt.

Justin Gaethje via UFC 313 live broadcast
YouTube video

Gaethje did not completely dismiss the possibility of fighting Fiziev. With this impressive victory, the American fighter demonstrated his resilience, making another comeback after a defeat. Although Fiziev possessed impressive skills and tools to neutralize Gaethje’s attacks, he failed to capitalize on these advantages. Meanwhile, Gaethje utilized his brute force to deliver significant strikes against the Azerbaijani fighter.

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Interestingly, the UFC 313 clash between Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev was not their first encounter, but the outcomes share some similarities. In their previous fight, Gaethje won by a majority decision, while this time he secured a unanimous decision victory. Now, this raises the question of who the American fighter might face next.

Henry Cejudo calls for championship fight between Justin Gaethje and Islam Makhachev

Over the years, Justin Gaethje has defeated several formidable fighters in the lightweight division. As a result, he earned the chance to compete for the 155 lbs title on two occasions. In the first instance at UFC 254, Gaethje faced Khabib Nurmagomedov in a title unification bout. Later, at UFC 274, he had another opportunity to win the title against Charles Oliveira.

Justin Gaethje in action against Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313
Justin Gaethje in action against Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313 (Image via UFC)

Interestingly, Gaethje was unable to take advantage of both of his previous championship opportunities. Currently, Islam Makhachev is the reigning champion of the UFC lightweight division. Following Gaethje’s impressive performance at UFC 313, Henry Cejudo has called for his next opponent. The former UFC double champion wants Makhachev to defend his title against the ‘Highlight.’

29-28 Gaethje. Makhachev vs Gaethje is the title fight to make for International Fight Week! #UFC313

Henry Cejudo via X

Makhachev has nearly defeated all the top-ranked contenders in the UFC lightweight division, except Gaethje. Consequently, the Dagestani fighter has expressed a strong interest in facing the American fighter. Now that Gaethje has delivered another impressive performance, it will be intriguing to see if the UFC arranges a fight between him and Makhachev.

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