Top Winners & Biggest Upsets at UFC Fight Night: BAKU

Introduction: The UFC’s debut in Baku was a night of high stakes and surprising turns, featuring decisive victories and a few unexpected outcomes. Here we spotlight the UFC Baku winners who made the biggest impact, as well as the notable upsets and storylines emerging from the event. From UFC Baku highlights like Rafael Fiziev’s triumphant return and a gritty split-decision heavyweight clash, to an underdog nearly toppling a contender, this analysis breaks down the top performances. We’ll also touch on post-fight bonuses and the Baku fight night payouts that made history, as two fighters took home unprecedented rewards. Let’s examine who shone the brightest in Baku and which results defied expectations.

Rafael Fiziev’s Comeback Victory

One of the top winners of the night was Rafael Fiziev, who delivered a statement win in his lightweight bout. Fiziev, returning after a long layoff and a three-fight losing skid, faced the dangerous Ignacio Bahamondes in the co-main event. The result was a shutout victory for Fiziev, as he swept the scorecards 30-27 across the board. This fight marked a comeback for “Ataman” Fiziev – not only was he rebounding from prior losses and injury, but he also fought in what was billed as a home-nation appearance (the Baku crowd embraced him, as Fiziev has roots in the region). Inside the cage, Fiziev looked sharp and powerful. He consistently beat Bahamondes to the punch and kick, dominating the stand-up exchanges. In fact, Bahamondes couldn’t touch Fiziev, as one report put it. Fiziev’s superior kickboxing and speed were evident; he unloaded crisp combinations and heavy body kicks that had Bahamondes on the defensive. By the end, Bahamondes was bloodied and bruised, and Fiziev had firmly won the striking battle. 

This UFC Baku highlight showcased Fiziev’s return to form and reestablished him as a contender to watch at 155 pounds. After the fight, Fiziev expressed relief at snapping his skid, and the victory likely propels him back toward the lightweight top ten. 

For Bahamondes, this bout represented a tough loss and could be considered a minor upset in terms of how one-sided it was. The Chilean prospect had momentum coming in, but he struggled to mount any meaningful offense under Fiziev’s pressure. While Bahamondes is known for his height and kickboxing, he was effectively neutralized. The result might not be a shocking upset on paper (Fiziev was the higher-ranked fighter), but the comprehensive nature of Bahamondes’ loss was unexpected. Many expected a competitive fight; instead, Fiziev’s dominance was clear from start to finish.

Curtis Blaydes’ Narrow Escape and Rizvan Kuniev’s Impressive Debut

Another major talking point from UFC Baku was the heavyweight bout between Curtis “Razor” Blaydes and Rizvan Kuniev. On a night of few finishes, this fight provided drama as a seasoned contender went to the brink against a newcomer. Blaydes ultimately won by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29), but the close scoreline tells the story – it was a razor-thin fight that Blaydes “snuck past” the unheralded Kuniev. 

Coming in, Blaydes was a heavy favorite and a top-ranked heavyweight, while Kuniev was making his UFC debut (and was unranked). Many expected Blaydes to roll through his opponent, perhaps even finish the fight early. Instead, Rizvan Kuniev’s debut nearly turned into a massive upset. The bout was bruising and competitive; Kuniev showed no intimidation, standing toe-to-toe and even pressing Blaydes in the clinches and wrestling exchanges. By the fight’s end, Blaydes was bloodied and visibly worn down, having absorbed significant blows from the stocky debutant. Blaydes did enough to convince two judges, likely using his experience and a slight edge in output to carry the later rounds. But one judge scored it for Kuniev, reflecting how close the underdog came to victory. This result stands out as one of the night’s biggest upsets in terms of expectations – while Blaydes technically won, the fact that an unranked newcomer pushed a perennial contender to a split decision was a surprise to many. In his post-fight comments, Blaydes acknowledged the fight was tougher than anticipated. He even revealed he tore his MCL in the first round, which might explain his more reserved performance. Regardless, Kuniev’s strong showing in defeat made him an instant name to watch. 

For Curtis Blaydes, the split-decision win still counts as getting back in the win column (he was coming off a loss previously). However, it was far from the dominant rebound he wanted. Blaydes was likely relieved to get the victory in Baku, but the struggle may affect his standing in the division. Conversely, Rizvan Kuniev’s debut qualifies as a moral victory. He proved he can hang with a top-10 heavyweight, which is no small feat. The Azerbaijani crowd had extra reason to cheer him; Kuniev, fighting in a neighboring region and being of Dagestani heritage, had local support and delivered on the hype of a strong debut. In terms of upsets, while Kuniev didn’t win outright, his performance was arguably one of the biggest surprises of the night.

Other Notable Winners and Upsets

Beyond the headliners, UFC Baku had other notable outcomes. Lightweights Myktybek Orolbai and Tofiq Musayev provided an upset on the prelims: Orolbai submitted Musayev (a highly touted Azerbaijani fighter making his UFC debut) via first-round kimura, spoiling Musayev’s homecoming in front of local fans. Orolbai’s win was an upset in terms of crowd expectation – Musayev was a former RIZIN champion and local favorite, but he tapped out in round 1, stunning the arena. Another big winner was Nazim Sadykhov, who secured a TKO victory over Nikolas Motta in a lightweight slugfest. Sadykhov vs. Motta was a back-and-forth war for two rounds until Sadykhov scored the stoppage, earning the night’s first (and only) KO/TKO finish in the second round. This fight was so action-packed it later earned Fight of the Night honors. Sadykhov’s victory was significant as it snapped a long string of decisions and gave the crowd some thrilling violence. 

On the flip side, Ignacio Bahamondes’ loss to Fiziev, mentioned earlier, counts as a disappointment for the rising prospect. Bahamondes had been riding momentum, but his inability to win even a round was a setback. Bogdan Grad, a regional fighter, also fell short in an upset of sorts – he lost a decision to Muhammad Naimov in a competitive featherweight bout. Grad was undefeated coming in, and Naimov handed him his first loss in the UFC, quelling the hype around the Moldovan newcomer. 

Finally, it’s worth noting that ten of the twelve fights in Baku went the distance, a statistic that itself was unexpected. The event was filled with competitive matchups but few highlight-reel finishes, as one report summarized. This led to an unusual situation with the post-fight awards – which turned out to be historic.

Post-Fight Bonuses and Payouts: A Historic First

The post-fight bonuses at UFC Baku Fight Night made headlines. In a highly unusual decision, the UFC awarded all bonus prize money to just one bout. Fight of the Night was given to Nazim Sadykhov vs. Nikolas Motta, and both fighters also earned Performance of the Night bonuses, resulting in each taking home a total of $100,000 in bonus money. This marks the first time in UFC history that two fighters earned all the bonus awards at an event – effectively, Sadykhov and Motta split the entire bonus budget, $100K each, as a reward for their thrilling battle. The rationale was clear: with so many decisions on the card and only two finishes, the Sadykhov-Motta fight stood out as the night’s most exciting contest. By finishing their fight and delivering non-stop action, they “got all the money” in Baku. This unprecedented bonus distribution was a hot topic among fighters and fans, underscoring how unique UFC Baku was. 

In terms of Baku fight night payouts, official fighter salaries were not disclosed (Azerbaijan doesn’t publicly release purse info), but those bonus figures give insight into the top earners. Sadykhov and Motta’s $100K each in bonuses are on top of their base pay, likely making them two of the higher-paid fighters of the night. The usual $50K bonuses were essentially doubled for them. No other fighter received a bonus, meaning big names like Rountree or Fiziev did not get the typical performance bonus, a rarity in modern UFC events.

Conclusion

UFC Baku’s inaugural event produced several big winners and a few surprising upsets. Khalil Rountree Jr.’s main event triumph (covered separately) was expected by some but notable for its dominance. Rafael Fiziev’s commanding win reasserted him as a force at lightweight, making him one of the night’s top winners and highlighting a successful comeback. On the upsets side, Rizvan Kuniev’s near-win against Curtis Blaydes shook up assumptions in the heavyweight division, and Myktybek Orolbai’s spoiler submission over Tofiq Musayev silenced a home crowd. The event will also be remembered for its historic bonus allocation, where an all-action undercard fight earned two fighters all of the $200,000 bonus pool

en.wikipedia.org. From UFC Baku highlights like Sadykhov’s TKO and Fiziev’s showcase to the resilience of underdogs like Kuniev, the card offered a wealth of storylines. These outcomes not only entertained the fans in Baku but also set the stage for intriguing future matchups and career trajectories as the UFC continues its international expansion.

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