UFC Fight Night: Rafael Dos Anjos Vs Rafael Fiziev Press Conference
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Vladimir Vladisavljevic
UFC Vegas 58 full fight card goes down this Saturday, but this is not a PPV (pay-per-view) event. Yet, diehard fans of trash talk and heated word exchange can enjoy lovely media day on Wednesday midday PT (late evening CET).
The UFC press conference will gather the fighters from the main card, where they will be answering all kinds of questions from journalists.
Beef Alert
Rafael Fiziev Vs Rafael dos Anjos press conference doesn’t look too promising, but you should not forget that the Muay Thai striker was challenging the Brazilian BJJ black belt “to see who’s the top Rafael in MMA”. So the two have to squash the beef and some very entertaining statements might be coming up.
It kicked off when dos Anjos addressed Tony Ferguson for February 19th plans. Yet, one of the most entertaining guys to watch, Tony Ferguson, offered a funny response in return, claiming that he “needs to check with his secretary”.
Yet, “The Ataman” was quick to react and call out the former lightweight division champion.
We all saw that fight and I already replied to ufc that I’m available for that day https://t.co/s8KgReBJMd
You can exclusively watch it live at the MMAJunkie official YouTube channel. Some other outlets might be covering it too. It should get underway on Thursday, July 6th, 2022, around noon ET (evening CET). NY Fights will update you with the link and all kinds of entertaining UFC fight night news.
Here are also some UFC Fight Night streaming options for the preliminary and main card of the UFC fight night Las Vegas on the upcoming Saturday. If your ISP cover ESPN/ESPN+, you can enjoy next to your TV, but non-America-based fans can give a shot to the UFC Fight Pass and see the lovely night of fights. The promo video speaks for itself – this event's gonna be the fireworks!
NOTE: ALL TRANSCRIPTS ARE FROM TAKEN FROM THE VIDEOS BELOW
Rafael Fiziev Sees A “Big Challenge” In Rafael Dos Anjos
It seems confident Rafael Fiziev wants to win by any means necessary. But he looks uncertain about whether top contenders are gonna call his name in the future following his win over Rafael from Brazil. Slow down, mate, the bout hasn’t happened yet!
The bout between Rafael dos Anjos and Rafael Fiziev has already been set in the past. The first time, it should’ve happened on the February 19th show, but Fiziev’s visa issues were too much. Then, unfortunately, the Azerbaijani Muay Thai striker ended up positive on CoVid-19, and the bout was scrapped again and moved for a later date. It is happening now.
Renato Moicano stepped in as a replacement for Rafael Fiziev but lost that bout convincingly. Here’s what Fiziev said on dos Anjos’ accepting Moicano battle.
“When this fight happened a second time, and he agreed to fight, I thought, Wow, he agreed. I’m happy for this because I think after he fought (Renato) Moicano he’d say, ‘I don’t want to fight with him again. Why do I need it?’ But he said yes, and I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s good. He’s a man.”
Fiziev praised dos Anjos’ skillset and explained that he saw “a big challenge” in the former UFC 155-pound title holder.
“I like the challenges and this guy is a big challenge.”
“He’s got good skills and that’s why I’m more than happy because this is a really big test for my skills.”
Rafael Dos Anjos Plans A Title Shot Following The Win Over Fiziev
Dos Anjos kicked off the presser with a brief description of the history he created in the UFC.
“Here I am, this is my 11th main event, and I just feel blessed for it”.
The Brazilian Rafael believes it is important to stay busy, despite his age of 37. His 16-month layoff might be a problem, but the Brazilian fighter believes he’s ready.
“Yeah, I had a 16-month layoff, which is very unusual to me, and especially coming off two bad injuries, I just wanna stay active, fighting more often, providing for my family”, dos Anjos said, and later added, “You know, I think I have never been so ready in my life since I moved to Brazil, it’s been new air breathing, new idea, I feel in great spirit.”
When asked if he sees a challenge in Fiziev’s style, dos Anjos replied:
“Sure, there’s always a challenge, he’s a tough guy, tough fighter. We haven’t seen much of his ground game and his wrestling skills, but I am sure he got some. Guys from East Europe are always tough.”
Dos Anjos agrees it’d be an easier way to win the fight via wrestling, but he’s ready for an all-around battle. We’re quoting his response to that question:
“Definitively, the fight starts standing. It’s on me, I like to fight standing, I don’t care, it is an MMA fight, I’m gonna test his skills, I’m gonna test his will.”
Dos Anjos hopes making a big statement here might be a great route to a title shot.
“That is my goal, I come here, make a big statement, and threw my name out there on a title contention. I want my name, my name it should be in a title contention.”
Well, it seems the two respect each other, but there are sparks between them. The beef is gonna get settled on Saturday, don’t miss to watch UFC Vegas 58 main event!
