Rafael Fiziev just fought Justin Gaethje in an absolute war with major ramifications for the lightweight division in the UFC. Reflecting on the fight, Fiziev told Ariel Helwani that he played into Gaethje’s game plan for the fight, but he was glad he could put on a show for the fans. He attributed his mistakes in the fight to perhaps being “young and stupid”.

The fans witnessed yet another fight of the night from Gaethje with some surprised as he walked away with the win from the otherwise dominant Fiziev. A close decision on the judges’ scorecard is what got Gaethje’s hand raised, but Fiziev went blow for blow with The Highlight like very few can. 

The spectacle that was Fiziev vs Gaethje

The story going into the Fiziev-Gaethje bout was that of a seasoned veteran against a talented fighter. While this tale is as old as time, few expected the bloodbath that ensued. We have come to expect Gaethje’s fights often devolve into slugfests, but the fresh blood he was up against seemed to be the perfect opponent to disrupt his game plan and impose himself on the stalwart.

This wasn’t to be, however, as The Highlight came away from the bout with the win in a fight that fans will love to rewatch. Fiziev had this to say Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour: “It’s a good fight, people still like it, people still say its a good fight and I like it also, I understand that this is a good fight, a very interesting fight, there’s fireworks how we say, but no win.“

Did Fiziev get his game plan wrong?

Ataman was upset with himself for not using better fight IQ versus Gaethje and feels he played right into his hands. When asked why he deviated from his game plan for the fight and got “crazy” he pondered, “Maybe I was excited in the moment maybe I’m still young and stupid”. Someone could fairly argue that the experience of Gaethje prevailed over the talented but naive Fiziev.

Read More: Where Is Rafael Fiziev From? What Is His Ethnicity?

It is clear from Fiziev’s statements and demeanor that he regrets the decisions he made in the fight, but not the fight as a whole. From a competitor’s perspective, he felt his approach to the Gaethje bout was ill-advised. However, from a performer’s perspective, he felt as if he gave the fans a fight that they could feast their eyes on. Fiziev is still young and once experience catches up to him, he will be a force to reckon with as a future contender for the Lightweight title.

Watch this story: How Did Rafael Fiziev End Up As A Fighter

Do you think Fiziev did enough to win against Gaethje? How would he fare in a rematch? Let us know in the comments.