Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev are fighting at UFC 313 after Dan Hooker pulled out, but the official co-main event status is yet to be confirmed. The main event features Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev for the light heavyweight title. They will co-main event the UFC 313 fight card which will be held in UFC 313 will take place on March 8, 2025, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Both fighters are known to be good strikers and are tough. That guarantees that fans will witness a war. While a BMF title fight is a possibility, it has not been officially confirmed that the winner of Gaethje vs. Fiziev will fight for the BMF belt. Max Holloway currently holds the title after defeating “The Highlight” at UFC 300.
With top contenders like Arman Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira and llia Topuria the chances for Gaethje, Fiziev and Holloway getting a title shot next does not look possible. They would need some quality wins to make a claim for being the #1 contender. In that case it would be better to book the winner of the UFC 313 co-main event against Max Holloway for the BMF title. Max Holloway has not officially moved to lightweight but he has made his intentions clear. While he holds the BMF title, his next fight has not been announced yet.
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What is the BMF Title?
The UFC birthed the BMF title during the battle between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz at UFC 244. Winning the title signifies much more than just skill. It’s about toughness and style. Winning this title gets fighters recognized for their hard hitting and striking skills.
The next BMF title fight took place between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier which was won by “The Highlight”. He later went on to lose the title to Holloway at UFC 300. Since then “The Highlight” has been out of action and with a win against Fiziev he can become the number one contender for the title. It’d be easier to get more fans, media too for the rematch, and the pay scale would be bigger for both the fighters.
Rafael Fiziev’s Fighting Style
Rafael Fiziev is a Muay Thai fighter and Azerbaijani professional mixed martial artist. Rankings change frequently. As of February 2025, Fiziev is ranked #9 in the UFC lightweight division (Check official UFC rankings for updates). “Ataman” definitely isn’t a traditional Muay Thai fighter and has modified his style heavily to be successful is MMA.
But Rafael Fiziev is one of the few MMA fighters with actual Muay Thai fights in Thailand and his body kicks and the way the 31-year old leans back from high kicks are very much Thai style. It was also clear that he would be ready and able to step-in with the striker regularly calling out opponents so that he could make his long awaited return to the Octagon having been out since September, 2023 due to an injury.
Justin Gaethje’s Fighting Style
Justin Gaethje is considered one of the most entertaining fighters in MMA. Gaethje is aggressive and has knockout power. He’s universally loved for being able to take punches and return to the fray. “The Highlight” generally good wrestling allows him to control his fights; UFC 248 happened in 2020. The upcoming fight is at UFC 313, not UFC 248. Also, winning this fight does not guarantee a BMF title shot.
“I’m the most exciting fighter that has ever stepped in that octagon in the history of this sport…. I don’t
just believe it. You believe it. You all believe it. You
know it to be true.”
-Justin Gaethje Ahead of UFC 313 co-main
event clash with Rafael Fiziev
What It Means for the Winner
The two will meet each other in the octagon for the second. Their first encounter took place at UFC 286 in a three round fight. Justin Gaethje came out victorious in their first encounter via majority decision. It was a hard hitting battle which saw great exchanges from the two. “Ataman” would be looking for his revenge in their second encounter.
The winner of Rafael Fiziev vs. Justin Gaethje 2 at UFC 313 is on the way to boosting careers and building legacies in MMA. With both fighters being known for providing absolute thrillers, a victory could hence see them race with much determination to go for the BMF title when doing confrontations with the BMF Champion, Max Holloway.
Aditya Khare