Justin Gaethje beats Rafael Fiziev in rematch banger

Another Justin Gaethje-Rafael Fiziev fight, another thriller.

That’s what played out Saturday night as Gaethje defeated Fiziev in their hastily booked rematch, earning a hard-fought unanimous decision with scores of 29-28 from all three judges. The lightweight bout was the UFC 313 co-main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) first beat Fiziev (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) by majority decision in the Fight of the Night in March 2023 at UFC 286. This fight unfolded much like that encounter, with both men throwing and landing heavy punches throughout the 15 minutes.

But it was Gaethje who landed the most significant strike of the fight in the second round when he ducked under a jab and dodged an uppercut before countering with an uppercut of his own that dropped Fiziev to the canvas. It nearly ended the fight, but Fiziev survived.

GAETHJE DROPS FIZIEV WITH THE UPPERCUT 😳

[ #UFC313] pic.twitter.com/IpSnl9iXmh

— UFC (@ufc) March 9, 2025

The third round started in Fiziev’s favor, but Gaethje – who promised a throwback version of himself from his WSOF days heading into UFC 313 – was relentless with volume and power punches that started wearing on his opponent as the round unfolded. It was a strong way for Gaethje to close out the fight, which resonated with the judges.

Gaethje, 36, originally was supposed to fight Dan Hooker, who was forced to withdraw last week after fracturing his hand. Gaethje said before UFC 313 that he hoped to be considered for a third lightweight title shot if victorious.

It remains to be seen Dana White and the UFC brass will grant his wish.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 313 results include:

• Justin Gaethje def. Rafael Fiziev via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Ignacio Bahamondes def. Jalin Turner via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 2:29
• Amanda Lemos def. Iasmin Lucindo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Mauricio Ruffy def. King Green via knockout (spinning wheel kick) – Round 1, 2:07
• Joshua Van def. Rei Tsuruya via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Brunno Ferreira def. Armen Petrosyan via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 1:27
• Carlos Leal def. Alex Morono via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:16
• Mairon Santos def. Francis Marshall via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
• Ozzy Diaz def. Djorden Santos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.