Rafael Fiziev appeared to be on his way to a solid-but-not-spectacular decision triumph over Rafael dos Anjos. Then lightning struck.
Fiziev took another significant step toward title contention in the lightweight division with a fifth-round technical knockout victory against dos Anjos in the UFC on ESPN 39 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Referee Mark Smith waved off the fight 18 seconds into the fifth round, giving the Tiger Muay Thai standout his first main event victory in the Octagon. Fiziev has won six straight fights at 155 pounds, the fourth-longest active winning streak in the division.