29-year-old lightweight contender Rafael Fiziev headlines his first UFC event this Saturday, which is a huge milestone on a long fighting career that started with Muay Thai in Kyrgyzstan.
“(I was) 12,” Fiziev told The MMA Hour about his first ever fight. “My first fight opponent was like around 18 or 19 years old. It was Muay Thai, 48 kg. I won.”
Interestingly enough, a future UFC champion from Kyrgyzstan was refereeing that very fight, with Fiziev sharing a funny story involving Valentina Shevchenko.
“Valentina refereed this fight,” Fiziev said. “Yeah, she was the referee in my first fight.