When Rafael Fiziev earned a one-line praise from a stunned Dana White for viral Matrix-esque lean-back move during his kickboxing days
Rafael Fiziev once earned high praise from UFC head honcho Dana White. A Matrix-esque maneuver executed by Fiziev seemingly left White in awe, as he shared his reaction on social media.
UFC lightweight Fiziev is considered to be one of the most skilled and innovative strikers in the sport of MMA today. The Azerbaijani combatant extensively competed in the sport of Muay Thai before turning his focus to a full-time MMA career in the UFC organization.
As reported by ESPN, Fiziev faced Sorgraw Petyindeeacademy (aka Sorgraw Petchyindee Academy) in a Muay Thai bout in January 2017. During the fight, Fiziev executed a lean-back defensive maneuver to evade a roundhouse head kick from his Thai opponent. Fiziev ultimately lost the fight via decision.
Nevertheless, footage of Fiziev's defensive maneuver went viral, with many fight fans likening it to a move that the character 'Neo' pulled off in the 1999 Hollywood movie, 'The Matrix.'
Taking to his official X (then known as Twitter) handle in February 2017, Dana White chimed in with a one-line praise for Rafael Fiziev. Reacting to the viral video, White tweeted:
"This is the craziest sh** I have ever seen!!!!!"
Check out Dana White's reaction to Rafael Fiziev's maneuver below:
Rafael Fiziev memorably showcased his striking in spectacular UFC KO win
After earning plaudits from Dana White in 2017, Muay Thai savant Rafael Fiziev eventually found his way to the UFC and made his octagon debut in April 2019. He's 6-3 under the UFC banner thus far and has been involved in multiple exciting fights.
A memorable moment from his UFC run was his epic spinning wheel kick knockout victory against Brad Riddell in the third and final round of their lightweight bout in December 2021. It was hailed as an extraordinary display of his Muay Thai skills, particularly with his distance and timing. Akin to his Matrix-esque defensive move in his Muay Thai fight in 2017, his 2021 KO win similarly earned him high praise.
Watch Fiziev's spinning wheel kick KO win below (12:55):
Presently, Rafael Fiziev is scheduled to fight former interim UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje in a rematch at UFC 313 on March 8. Their first encounter saw Fiziev suffer a majority decision defeat.