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“The Highlight” looked a step slow early on during his UFC 286 co-main event clash with Rafael Fiziev, but the former World Series of Fighting champion got stronger as the fight progressed. That culimated with a jab- and uppercut-heavy final frame that battered and bloodied the visage of his opponent, giving Gaethje another entertaining victory in a career filled with memorable performances. Gaethje, who has twice come up short in championship bouts, vowed in the aftermath to make one more run at the 155-pound belt. Enjoy him while he’s around, however, because one of the sport’s most violent performers also acknowledged that the finish line is drawing near. Fiziev, meanwhile, might have been just a round away from cementing his status as a title contender. Instead, he still has more work to do after seeing a six-bout winning streak snapped by the slimmest of margins.
Elsewhere, Marvin Vettori held serve at middleweight by relying on his kickboxing to end the four-fight winning streak of Roman Dolidze in the main card opener at UFC 286. “The Italian Dream” is 7-2 since 2019, with his only two losses coming to former title holders in Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya. As a result, Vettori climbs one spot to sixth in the latest 185-pound poll. Meanwhile, former flyweight title challenger Jennifer Maia slowed the ascent of Casey O’Neill with a three-round verdict over the previously undefeated Scottish prospect, allowing the Brazilian to surpass Viviane Araujo and claim the No. 12 ranking at 125 pounds.
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