Story perspectives

Fiziev KO Earns $100K Bonus at Baku UFC

6/28/2026

Summary

Fiziev KO Victory

Rafael Fiziev KO’d Manuel Torres 15 seconds into round 2 in Baku, Azerbaijan, earning a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
Asu Almabayev, Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev and Daniil Donchenko earned $100,000 bonuses for a Suloev-stretch submission, an eight-second KO (the seventh-fastest UFC finish) and a head-kick stoppage.
Matheus Camilo, Abus Magomedov, Nursulton Ruziboev, Kaan Ofli and Tahir Abdullayev received $25,000 finish bonuses, with no Fight of the Night bonus awarded.

Summary

Yakhyaev 8-Sec KO

Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev entered UFC Baku as a Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner with a 10-0 record.
He knocked out opponent in eight seconds, tying James Irvin for the second-fastest light-heavyweight KO and ranking seventh fastest across all divisions.
Betting odds listed Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev as a heavy favorite while referee Jim Perdios halted the bout at eight seconds.
Michael Bisping praised Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev’s smart game plan in the post-fight interview.

Summary

Almabayev Stretch Finish

Asu Almabayev executed a Suloev stretch—the first UFC flyweight finish of that type and the fourth overall—publicly challenging flyweight champion Joshua Van, joining only three prior uses of the move.
Nursulton Ruziboev earned his 21st submission, staying unbeaten (5-0) in UFC middleweight bouts after rendering Pulyaev unconscious at 3:58 of round 1 via technical submission.
Charles Johnson suffered his first loss by submission, a rare defeat for the seasoned flyweight veteran.

History

Historical Context

UFC began on November 12 1993 in Denver’s McNichols Arena, when founders Art Davie and Rorion Gracie staged an eight-man tournament that attracted 86,592 pay-per-view buyers and introduced the Octagon. Decades of TV deals and performance bonuses later, the promotion set the stage for the 2024 Baku event’s eight-second knockout.

1 of 4

Fiziev KO Victory

Rafael Fiziev KO’d Manuel Torres 15 seconds into round 2 in Baku, Azerbaijan, earning a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
Asu Almabayev, Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev and Daniil Donchenko earned $100,000 bonuses for a Suloev-stretch submission, an eight-second KO (the seventh-fastest UFC finish) and a head-kick stoppage.
Matheus Camilo, Abus Magomedov, Nursulton Ruziboev, Kaan Ofli and Tahir Abdullayev received $25,000 finish bonuses, with no Fight of the Night bonus awarded.

1 / 4