There’s a saying in the fight world that strong hits win fights and Justin Gaethje is a prime example of it. ‘Highlight’ is known for his powerful punches and kicks which win him his fights. Even the former champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov had stated that Gaethje’s punch hits like a truck. However, a recent opponent of his discredited the American’s abilities and accused him of dirty play.

Rafael Fiziev’s recent interview was filled with the fighter making claims on his fight against Gaethje and in one such comment, ‘Ataman’ accused ‘Highlight’ of playing dirty to secure the win in the fight. So what exactly did Fiziev say? Let’s explore his accusations below.

Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev engage in back and forth over eye poke

Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev are reigniting their rivalry after ‘Ataman’ made obnoxious comments regarding their previous fight. The Azerbaijani fought and Gaethje locked horns at UFC 26 on March 18 last year and Fiziev suffered a loss in that fight. The UFC lightweight star had given his thoughts earlier on the fight. However, he changed his tune recently. As per Fiziev, ‘Highlight’ won the fight just because of an eye poke.

‘Ataman’ was interviewed on January 30, where he explained the real reason for his loss against ‘Highlight “[Gaethje] ran away from me for 2 rounds. He started to win only after an eye poke because my eye couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t see anything with my right eye. He fought good only after the eye poke and round 3 when I started to get tired” said Fiziev in an interview with The Allstar.

‘Ataman’s statement seems to have irked the lightweight contender. ‘Highlight’ took to his X (Formerly Twitter) handle to add a comment that exposed Fiziev’s lies. He writes “Not a good look here. I hit him so hard he forgot which eye got poked. Your right eye got torched by my right-hand kid.

In another tweet, Gaethje reiterated that Fiziev was a good fighter but faces a risk of deterioration as he dwells in the past. The BMF champion said, “He’s very talented. I think he is making a mistake in not looking forward to the future which can be very promising for him. I’m surprised he is saying this as it was clearly the other eye.” Gaethje’s power is no joke, and this is the reason why he is the ‘BMF’ belt holder. However, can this save him from the iron chin of Max Holloway? ‘Highlight’ believes he would be the first man to knock out Holloway.

Gaethje ambition to knock out ‘The Blessing’

UFC 300 promises a brutal match-up as the best strikers on the UFC roster are set to unleash hell on each other. Justin Gaethje and

Max Holloway are set to fight each other for the ‘BMF’ belt. The lightweight star knows how dangerous Holloway can be. However, ‘Highlight’ has a plan for the devil.

“I have 25 wins and I have 20 knockouts. I’m pretty proud of that. That’s one thing that I tried to sustain throughout my career purposefully. So yeah, that’s something that I’m shooting for. Same thing with Tony Ferguson. Nobody had ever finished him. I didn’t knock him out in a traditional way, but I certainly created enough damage for that fight to be rightfully stopped.” Gaethje told ESPN.

He further added, “I would rather not get there here (vs. Holloway), I promise you that. I do think….this could be a war, a battle of attrition. If I can’t find him, if I can’t hurt him, then he never stops.”

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Gaethje has made it clear that it’s either a war or nothing on UFC 300. Who do you think would emerge victorious among them? What did you make of Gaethje’s rebuttal against Fiziev? Tell us about your opinion in the comments below.

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