Rafael Fiziev and Rafael dos Anjos show mutual respect following UFC Fight Night battle

Rafael dos Anjos and Rafael Fiziev during their encounter at UFC Vegas 58 [Inset via @ufc on Twitter; other images via Getty]

Rafael Fiziev and Rafael dos Anjos went to war in the headliner of the recently concluded Fight Night event on July 9. After an engaging back-and-forth contest that lasted until the first minute of the fifth and final round, Fiziev emerged victorious via TKO.

The 29-year-old came out all guns blazing in the final round as a perfectly timed left hook connected flush and dropped his Brazilian counterpart. Rafael Fiziev landed one more blow on his fallen opponent, prompting the referee to end the fight. Following their intriguing battle, both fighters showed respect and admiration for one another on social media.

The former lightweight champion congratulated Fiziev on the win and claimed that it was a "fun" fight to be a part of:

"Congrats @RafaelFiziev great win. It was a fun one…you caught me good on that one. Enjoy your victory."

Congrats @RafaelFiziev great win. It was a fun one…you caught me good on that one. Enjoy your victory.

In response, Fiziev thanked Dos Anjos for sharing the octagon with him and hailed the fight game veteran as a future Hall of Famer:

"It was an honor... Nothing but respect to the future hall of famer @RdosAnjosMMA Thanks for the opportunity"

@RdosAnjosMMA It was an honor 🙏🏼

Nothing but respect to the future hall of famer @RdosAnjosMMA Thanks for the opportunity 🤝

Rafael Fiziev calls out former interim lightweight champion following win at UFC Vegas 58

With the victory over Rafael dos Anjos, Rafael Fiziev has now managed to string together an impressive six-fight win streak inside the octagon. Currently ranked No.10 in the lightweight division, Fiziev is expected to move further up the rankings when the promotion updates the list this week.

Now that he's managed to establish himself as a legitimate threat in the division, Fiziev is looking to take on top-ranked contenders moving forward. At the post-fight press conference following UFC Vegas 58, Fiziev revealed that he's eyeing a potential clash with former interim champion Justin Gaethje:

"I want to fight with Gaethje if he like... if you want to fight... we need to know who is the best, that's a good match for you and for me, if you're ready, if you don't scared, if you don't take sh*t, let's go."