After two previous dates failed to materialize, Rafael dos Anjos and Rafael Fiziev will try again to make their fight happen.
The battle of Rafaels will go down at UFC Fight Night on July 9, with dos Anjos (32-13 MMA, 20-11 UFC) and Fiziev (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) expected to meet in a five-round lightweight main event. A location and venue for the event have yet to be revealed.
It’s a key bout at 155 pounds, with dos Anjos currently sitting at No. 5 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie lightweight rankings and Fiziev checking in at No. 15.
Two people with knowledge of the situation confirmed to MMA Junkie that both fighters have verbally agreed to the matchup. The people requested anonymity because the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. ESPN.com was first to report the date.
The pair were originally slated to headline an event on Feb. 19, but the matchup got delayed to UFC 272 in March due to Fiziev’s visa issues. Shortly before fight week arrived, though, Fiziev tested positive for COVID-19, and the matchup was scrapped.
Fiziev is enjoying a very successful stretch in his career. The muay Thai specialist is on a five-fight winning streak, which includes notable wins over Renato Moicano, Bobby Green and, most recently, Brad Riddell. Fiziev’s lone professional MMA defeat came in his UFC debut back in 2019 against Magomed Mustafaev.
On the other hand, ex-UFC lightweight champion dos Anjos looks to stay in the win column since dropping back down to 155 pounds following an eight-fight run at welterweight. The Brazilian returned to the lightweight division in November 2020, defeating Paul Felder by decision. He defeated Fiziev’s replacement, Renato Moicano, by unanimous decision at UFC 272, but the fight was contested at a 160-pound catchweight.
The latest UFC Fight Night lineup for July 9 includes:
- Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rafael Fiziev
- Cynthia Calvillo vs. Nina Nunes
- Cortney Casey vs. Antonina Shevchenko
- Josh Fremd vs. Tresean Gore
- Said Nurmagomedov vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade
- Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Jamie Pickett
- Caio Borralho vs. Armen Petrosyan
- Cody Garbrandt vs. Rani Yahya