Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to stage UFC Baku later TODAY (Sat., June 27, 2026) on Paramount+, which will be headlined by a Lightweight fight between Rafael Fiziev vs. Manuel Torres. In the co-main event, Shara Magomedov will face Michel Pereira in a high-pressure Middleweight affair.
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UFC BAKU CHEAT SHEET
What UFC event is on tonight? UFC Baku: “Fiziev vs. Torres”
Who is fighting tonight at UFC Baku? Rafael Fiziev vs. Manuel Torres Lightweight fight is the five-round main event.
What time does UFC Baku start?
TODAY (Sat., June 27, 2026), beginning at 9 a.m. ET on Paramount+.
Where will UFC Baku take place? Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan.
How can I watch UFC Baku? Paramount+ “Prelims” undercard matches are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. ET on Paramount+, followed by the remaining main card balance on Paramount+ at 12 p.m. ET.
How do I bet on UFC Baku? Checkout the latest lines right here and bet at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Where can I get UFC Baku updates and results? Get full UFC Baku play-by-play updates and live coverage here!
There’s a new sheriff in the Lightweight division after Justin Gaethje halted Ilia Topuria‘s undefeated streak dead in its tracks, stopping him via brutal fourth round technical knockout at the historic UFC White House event a few weeks ago (see it again here). And that means “Highlight” is now the man with the big target on his back. Two men who are looking to make a climb up the ladder this weekend are Fiziev and Torres. Fiziev has long been one of the more exciting fighters in the division, but has struggled as of late, losing four of his last five fights. Still, despite the bumps in the road, he has been able to hold on to his No. 11 spot in the Top 15; however, he needs a win here if he wants to remain there. There is no telling where it’s gone wrong for the talented striker, but it’s not for a lack of skills. To his defense, two of his losses came against the aforementioned Gaethje, rising star Mauricio Ruffy and Mateusz Gamrot. Still, a loss is a loss, and he can’t afford another setback.
Torres, meanwhile, made his rankings debut at No. 15 not too long ago, a right he earned by going 5-1 so far in his UFC run. What makes his run more impressive is that he has finished every single opponent in the first round, which means he is must-see TV. Indeed, the 31 year-old embodies the balls-to-the-wall attitude that most of his Mexican-born comrades possess, emerging as a fan-favorite because of it. A win over Fiziev would be the biggest on his resume to date, and it could be the one that gets him into the Top 10. While he loves to stand-and-bang, exchanging with Fiziev can prove to be a big mistake, but I don’t expect him to change up his style now. This one should be a banger, and one that may not last too long. Don’t blink!
Original Card Vs. Actual Card/Injuries
Marvin Vettori was expected to face Ismail Naurdiev at this event before a broken rib forced him out of the fight. With no replacement found, the bout was scrapped altogether. Also, Andreas Gustafsson and Daniil Donchenko were set to tango before Gustafsson withdrew after discovering heart issues. While he is currently getting treatment, promotional newcomer, Theodor Berggren, stepped in to take his place.
New Blood:
Tahir Abdullayev will make his UFC debut after racking up a 19-3 record on the regional circuit. Currently riding a four-fight win streak (all finishes) he is ready to keep his momentum going on the biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) stage of them all. He will battle fellow newcomer, Jefferson Nascimento, who is also looking to shine in his debut. Undefeated (13-0), Nascimento has eight finishes on his record, so he is as talented and exciting as they get when talking about new blood.
Berggren is a talented Swedish striker ready to make his mark inside the Octagon. All of his wins come by way of stoppage, so his missions is clear: Get in and get out as fast as possible. He will be facing Donchenko, who is 2-0 inside the Octagon an unbeaten in his last six fights.
After just four fights as a professional, Farman Hasanov will get his chance on the big stage. Making his professional debut in 2022, he has only competed four times in six years, but will look for a nice start to his UFC career when he battles Eric Nolan, who laid an egg in his Octagon debut after losing to Baisangur Susurkaev.
How The ‘Prelims’ Look:
Nursulton Ruziboev is doing well with his chances inside the Octagon, racking up a 4-1 mark so far. He will take on Andrey Pulyaev, who is 1-2 under UFC’s banner with his most recent defeat coming against surging contender, Ateba Abega Gautier.
Undefeated (9-0), Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev has won eight of his nine fights via stoppage, seven in the first round. He will look to keep his hot streak going when he battles Julius Walker, who has had rough go of it inside the eight-walled cage. He is 1-2 so far in his young UFC career, so he needs a win here if he wants to hang around a bit longer.
Kaan Ofli started his UFC career with two straight losses, putting him at risk of getting cut before gaining much traction. Thankfully, he managed to turn things around, winning his two most recent fights. And he will now go for his third straight when he takes on Javier Reyes, winner of three consecutive bouts, including his Octagon debut against Douglas Silva de Andrade.
Bekzat Almakhan hasn’t had the best start to his UFC career, dropping two of his first three outings inside the Octagon. He will look to lock down his second UFC win when he goes up against Jean Matsumoto in a Bantamweight banger. Matsumoto is 3-2 under UFC’s banner and is coming off a tough loss against Farid Basharat.
Who Needs A Win Badly:
As mentioned earlier, Fiziev has seen better days. With four losses in his last five fights, “Ataman” is in big need of a win in his headlining bout. He won’t get cut with a loss, but another setback might knock him out of the Top 15. He has all the tools to return to the winner’s circle, but he needs to put his losses behind him and concentrate on the task at hand because Torres is as dangerous as they come.
Interest Level: 6/10
Pereira locked down a much-needed win in his last outing, defeating Zachary Reese via split decision to snap his horrible three-fight skid. Now, the always entertaining striker will attempt to make it two in a row when he goes up against an equally-talented striker in Magomedov. “Bullet” is 5-1 under UFC’s banner with his lone defeat coming against Michael Page. Magomedov is as dangerous as they come, and if he and Pereira decide to bang it out on the feet, we could see a devastating finish either way.
Coming off a loss to Fares Ziam that snapped his 12-fight unbeaten run, Nazim Sadykhov will look to start another streak against Matheus Camilo, who managed to secure his first win inside the Octagon by defeating Viacheslav Borshchev via unanimous decision in late 2025.
Asu Almabayev was making a nice march toward a possible Flyweight title fight before running into Manel Kape in March of last year. Since that defeat, however, he has racked up two straight wins, which is good enough to help him hold onto his No. 8 seed. His next opponent, Charles Johnson, is 2-2 in his last four outings and is coming off a split decision win over Bruno Silva.
Ikram Aliskerov has bounced back nicely following his loss to Robert Whittaker, winning his last two fights to improve his record to 4-1 under UFC’s banner. His opponent, Brunno Ferreira, saw his three-fight win streak go down the drain after running into Gregory Rodrigues’ heavy hands earlier this year (see it again here).
After going through a three-fight win streak in 2024, Michal Oleksiejczuk has now won three straight and is on the hunt for his first four-fight win streak in seven years. He will attempt to reach that goal by taking out Abus Magomedov, who saw his three-fight win streak go up in smoke after getting his face cranked by Joe Pyfer back in Oct. 2025.
Full UFC Baku Fight Card:
UFC Baku Main Event on Paramount+:
155 lbs.: Rafael Fiziev vs. Manuel Torres
UFC Baku Main Card on Paramount+ (12 p.m. ET):
185 lbs.: Shara Magomedov vs. Michel Pereira
155 lbs.: Nazim Sadykhov vs. Matheus Camilo
125 lbs.: Asu Almabayev vs. Charles Johnson
185 lbs.: Brunno Ferreira vs. Ikram Aliskerov
185 lbs.: Michal Oleksiejczuk vs. Abusupiyan Magomedov
UFC Baku Preliminary Card on Paramount+ (9 a.m. ET):
170 lbs.: Farman Hasanov vs. Eric Nolan
205 lbs.: Julius Walker vs. Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev
185 lbs.: Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Andrey Pulyaev
145 lbs.: Kaan Ofli vs. Javier Reyes
170 lbs.: Daniil Donchenko vs. Theodor Berggren
135 lbs.: Bekzat Almakhan vs. Jean Matsumoto
170 lbs.: Tahir Abdullayev vs. Jefferson Nascimento
*Fight card, bout order and number of fights subject to change.*
