UFC 265: Hot Prospect of the Week | MMA Odds and Fighter Analysis

David Manyun
August 4, 2021

A UFC hot prospect from the lightweight division will return to the octagon in Houston, Texas, this weekend when the Ultimate Fighting Championship fans are rewarded with young & dangerous talent to headline the preliminary card. Read on for our complete betting guide taking a first look at our hot prospect of the week, Rafael Fiziev and his challenger Bobby Green, including updated odds and our free expert UFC betting picks.

Rafael Fiziev vs. Bobby Green

UFC Lightweight Preliminary Headline Bout UFC 265

Saturday, August 07, 2021 – 09:05 PM EDT at UFC Toyota Center

UFC Hot Prospect: Rafael “Ataman” Fiziev (9-1)

Our hot prospect of the week is none other than Rafael Fiziev, one of the UFC’s most promising lightweight contenders to surface within the past couple of years. Hailing from Korday Kazakhstan, Fiziev began training in the art of muay thai in his teenage years. His love for martial arts didn’t start and end with muay thai; he soon ventured into other disciplines such as Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, combat sambo, and wrestling. Now, a Master of Sport in hand-to-hand combat and kickboxing, “Ataman” has gained a wealth of competitive experience owning a 29-4 muay thai record alongside multiple championships and medals in the sport.

Four years ago, Fiziev moved to Thailand and had been training with the well-known Tiger Muay Thai & MMA camp. He would often rotate between muay thai and MMA competitions, but as of 2019, his promotional debut for the UFC allowed him to focus solely on mixed martial arts. Since making his debut, Fiziev has achieved a 3-1 record, defeating stiff competition in Alex White (13-5), Marc Diakiese (14-3) and Renato Moicano (14-3). Aged just 28, the room for improvement in Fiziev’s career could very well provide a championship-worthy contender, especially when considering how talented he already is.

UFC 265: Rafael Fiziev Fighter Analysis

Despite his experience in combat sambo, wrestling, and Jiu Jitsu, It becomes evident that Fiziev wants to keep his fights standing once the first–round bell chimes, and we can’t blame him. A diverse striking offence and an extraordinary level of defensive movement on the feet has been at the forefront of his professional fighting career.

Before his UFC arrival, Fiziev was involved in a matrix-style back-bending escape of a head kick during a muay thai bout that ended up going viral. His reflexes and flexibility assist his chances at evading the oppositions incoming attacks, with a mean counter striking ability to match. Fiziev’s background in muay thai is apparent through his use of knee strikes, leg kicks, and six of his nine MMA victories ending via KO/TKO. Having already proven his speed, explosiveness, and power is elite enough to compete with top UFC competition, we should expect a prosperous career from the Kazakhstan native.

UFC 265 Hot Prospect Betting Pick

This weekend, our hot prospect will face the well experienced Bobby Green, and judging by the BMR odds, they’re conscious of how talented the young Fiziev is. I predict the striking output of Fiziev to outmatch that of his opponent completely. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bobby Green fall back on his wrestling offence in attempts to disable Fiziev’s striking.

Still, as mentioned, Fiziev isn’t easy to take down with his background in grappling and should this fight remain on the feet, Greens’ chances of victory are slim. The younger, faster, harder-hitting Fiziev should take a unanimous decision without any complications this weekend. I anticipate Paiva to rely on for my best bets.

UFC 265 Hot Prospect Betting Prediction: Rafael Fiziev to win with -300 at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)

*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.