Manuel Torres will headline his first UFC event when he faces Rafael Fiziev in the main event of UFC Baku on Saturday, June 27, 2026.
The lightweight contenders meet at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan, with Fiziev entering the bout ranked No. 11 at 155 pounds and Torres sitting at No. 15. All six of Torres’ UFC fights have ended in the first round, and he has received Performance of the Night bonuses in all five of his UFC wins.
“Ever since I was a little kid, I just wanted to finish the fights; I wanted to get out of there and to knock my opponent out,” Torres said. “That’s how things have happened, and I’ve always thought that’s how you become the best in the world, and that’s what I want to do — I want to be the best in this.”
“I want to be feared,” he added. “I want to be the Mike Tyson that people fear, and I have the mentality that I’m gonna be the best in the world, and I’m gonna beat them all.”
Torres has had 20 professional fights and has only been out of the first round once, in a 2018 split-decision win over Enrique Gonzalez. Fiziev is attempting to rebound in front of the Baku crowd, while Torres sees the matchup as a crucial step.
“I thought about this, about what this means, and it’s that I will be one step closer to going for the title,” Torres said. “God-willing, if that’s what’s supposed to happen, a nice win on Saturday puts me closer to a title shot.”
