The UFC headed east to Azerbaijan for a UFC Fight Night event that featured a homecoming for Rafael Fiziev, while a card packed with emerging talent looked to put on a show in front of a packed crowd at the National Gymnastics Arena.
Here are our power rankings for the night’s top performers at UFC Baku.
UFC Baku Power Rankings
1. Rafael Fiziev
The homecoming hero of Baku was given the task of closing the show, and he did so in style with a brilliant second-round knockout of notorious first-round finisher Manuel Torres.
Fiziev entered the bout in poor form, having lost four of his last five bouts, but each of those matchups came against elite opposition. But against rising talent Torres, Fiziev proved that there are levels to the UFC’s lightweight division as he took the fight to the Mexican from the opening exchange, avoided Torres’ vaunted first-round finishing power, then stopped him in the second.
The finish, a spectacular spinning heel kick, with follow-up punches, was a thing of beauty, and the perfect way to send the Baku fans home happy after a great night of fights.
2. Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev
It will take you longer to read this than Yakhyaev needed to actually win his fight. The light heavyweight finisher entered the Octagon, patiently waited for Bruce Buffer to finish his announcements, then proceeded to demolish Julius Walker with strikes.
The whole fight lasted just seven seconds, as Yakhyaev gave another warning to the light heavyweight division that he’s a force to be reckoned with at 205 pounds.
3. Asu Almabayev
In terms of the most comprehensively excellent all-round MMA performance of the night, Asu Almabayev stood above the rest. Matched with the tricky veteran Charles Johnson, the Kazakh contender showcased smart stand-up skills, and mixed in his wrestling to keep the American guessing.
And when the fight hit the mat in the third round, Almabeyev produced a piece of grappling magic, as he worked himself into position and executed a perfect Suloev stretch to force the tap an secure his third straight win inside the Octagon.
Alabayev looks like a contender in the making at 125 pounds, and while he may need one more win to put himself right in line for a title shot, he can expect a big fight for his next assignment.
4. Matheus Camilo
Matched against Azerbaijan’s own Nazim Sadykhov, Brazil’s Matheus Camilo knew he was going into enemy territory in Baku. But, despite his opponent receiving the entirety of the fan support in the arena, it was Camilo who emerged with his hand raised in victory.
A well-timed punch dropped Sadykhov hard to the canvas, and a series of follow-up strikes forced the finish as Camilo claimed back-to-back wins in the UFC after losing his debut to Gabe Green in May 2025. Now he’s on a win streak, it’ll be interesting to see how far he can take his form in the talent-stacked lightweight division.
5. Daniil Donchenko
Having won The Ultimate Fighter, Ukraine’s Donchenko is starting to make real progress in the UFC’s welterweight division. His TKO of Swedish replacement opponent Theodor Berggren showcased Donchenko’s trademark aggression as he pushed the pace, hurt his man, and got the stoppage early in the second round.
At just 24 years of age, we’re only starting to scratch the surface of Donchenko’s potential in MMA gloves, but what we already know is that he’s an exciting talent to follow, and one who loves a tear-up. That’ll bode well for his booking prospects in the coming years, and it probably won’t be long before we see him on another fight card.
File under: Lowkickmma.com | Leave a comment »