We haven’t quite recovered from the epic festivities of the UFC White House event, while the return of Conor McGregor at UFC 329 has our hype meters pumping in unison. But the consolation isn’t bad, as we’ve been handed some delightful Fight Night events in between, including this weekend’s (Saturday, June 27th) UFC Baku Fight Night card!
- Fiziev vs. Torres Best Bet 1: Manuel Torres Moneyline 1.96 at ibet
- Fiziev vs. Torres Best Bet 2: Under 1 ½ Rounds 2.10 at ibet
- Maximise your UFC bankroll: Find the best UFC odds here!
Rising through the lightweight rankings, we have Manuel ‘EL Loco’ Torres, preparing for his maiden main event appearance versus the ever-dangerous, well-experienced, and Azerbaijan native Rafael Fiziev.
Will the home-field advantage assist Fiziev? Also, will Torres suffer main event jitters? Or will either of these striking enthusiasts deliver a knockout blow?
All of the above will be answered, and more, with my complete UFC Baku main event breakdown. We’ll dive into the latest UFC fights, make some predictions, and ensure that our UFC betting knives are sharpened ahead of Saturday’s fighting festivities at ibet.
Fiziev vs. Torres: Tale of The Tape
| Rafael Fiziev | Manuel Torres | |
| Country | Azerbaijan/Kazakhstan | Mexico |
| Age | 33 | 31 |
| Pro Record (Win/Loss) | 13-5 | 17-3 |
| KO/Submission | 8 KOs, 1 Submissions | 9 KOs, 7 Submissions |
| Height | 5’8” | 5’10” |
| Reach | 71.5” | 73.5” |
| Win/Loss (Last 5) | L/W/L/L/L | W/W/L/W/W |
| Moneyline Price | 1.80 (Favorite) | 1.96 (Underdog) |
Inside the Octagon: Fiziev vs. Torres Prediction & Analysis
Has Fiziev Fallen into Gatekeeper Territory?
On paper, a 7-5 UFC record doesn’t look great, does it? But here’s the thing about Rafael Fiziev: he rapidly shot through the rankings early in his career. As a result, he’s fought a killer’s row of opposition since – RDA, Gaethje (twice), Gamrot, Ruffy – to name a few.
But in a sport that questions ‘what have you done for me lately?’ More so than experience, his latest outing versus Mauricio Ruffy ended in a brutal round two knockout that now begs the question of whether he’s simply becoming a 155 lb gatekeeper or not.
Sure, this could be true. He’ll never likely challenge for a title in this stacked weight class, but is the gatekeeper position all that bad? He’s lost 4 of his last 5 outings, but that lone victory came against, you guessed it, a rising contender in Ignacio Bahamondes.
Fiziev isn’t the rising contender he once was, but there’s a reason why UFC odds have him positioned as a slight favourite at UFC Baku. He still holds the talent and experience to give any up-and-comer a run for their money, especially with that home country feeling he’ll receive on Saturday.
Mexico’s Hard-Hitting Manuel Torres
He loves a simple one-two, but boy has Manuel Torres made it count. Since joining the UFC back in 2022, he’s won 5 of his 6 bouts, most of which (4) ended by knockout!
When we talk about Mexican fighting spirit, Torres is the walking poster boy for it. Does he present some technical flaws? Yes. Could he do a greater job of dealing with lateral movement when being on the back foot, but that’s the thing… Once a fighter stands in front of him, and he’s pressuring, they’re in real trouble!
The slight plus-money underdog odds on Torres are interesting. A formerly injured leg, absolute wars (including 30 minutes with the champ, Gaethje), plus the fact that he’s returning from a knockout defeat, place Fiziev in a weird place, and I don’t like it.
Fiziev vs. Torres Betting Picks
Manuel Torres Moneyline
I’d want to see constant stance switching, lateral movement, and plenty of at-range low kicks from Fiziev in this bout. Unfortunately, as we’ve witnessed on many occasions, he can be overly confident in his pocket striking, and that will cost him dearly here.
He has the home-field advantage, experience, and technical advantages in striking, but I cannot trust Fiziev to avoid Torres’ power down the pipe or to be a trustworthy source for UFC tips.
Fiziev vs Torres Isn’t Going the Distance
Torres has the sort of power and aggression that makes betting the over a complete gut-wrenching experience from the opening bell. So, it’s simple… We’ll back the under!
Even the oddsmakers are scared because they’ve attached a five-round main event with an over/under of 1.5 rounds, which is rare.
With that said, they should be scared. Torres has finished all five of his UFC wins in the first round, and given his sheer aggressive nature, I wouldn’t be surprised to see that trend continue in Baku.
UFC Baku Event Information
- Date & Time: Saturday, June 27, 2026 – 09:00 a.m. ET
- Location: National Gymnastics Arena, Baku, Azerbaijan
- How to Watch: UFC Fight Pass & Paramount+
- Main Event Bout: Rafael Fiziev vs. Manuel Torres
- Co-Main Event Bout: Shara Magomedov vs. Michel Pereira
