Today, a special session was organized via Zoom with UFC Azerbaijani fighter Rafael Fiziyev, organized by Baku City Ring. During the session, the 33-year-old athlete answered journalists' questions about the UFC Baku Fight Night tournament to be held in Baku on June 21.

- First of all, we would like to know how the preparations for the tournament are going?

- I am very happy that I will fight in front of my native fans. I will receive great support from the local audience in Baku. This increases my responsibility. The preparations are going great. Everything is going according to plan. I have just finished a hard training. At the last moment, my phone fell into the water. That is why the images are bad.

- Your opponent, Chilean Ignacio Bahomandez, physically surpasses you. He is 1.91 meters tall. He has won 2 of his last 3 fights by knockout.

- I have always fought tall opponents. I am actually more comfortable facing such athletes. I know that he has won his last 3 fights. I am not worried at all. My opponent will test me. This will be a real test for him.

- What were your feelings when you first heard that this competition would be held in Baku?

- There have been rumors about Baku Fight Night for a long time. It is an honor to fight in front of your home crowd. I have always wanted this.

- Which Azerbaijani fighters can strengthen themselves in the UFC?

- As far as I know, Tofig Musayev has signed a contract with the UFC and will enter the octagon in Baku. There are many guys who can represent Azerbaijan in the UFC. I can't name specific names, because I might forget someone's name. I believe that soon 2-3 Azerbaijani athletes will strengthen themselves in the UFC.

- There was information in the press that you would change weight. How true is this news?

- Before the fight with Justin Gaethje, I relaxed my weight. I thought that I could move to light lightweight. However, after the last fight in Las Vegas, I underwent a special examination at the UFC Institute. The doctors considered it advisable to stay at lightweight.

- Fighting in front of my home fans also creates psychological pressure. Will you be able to cope with this?

- Fighting in Baku will not create psychological pressure for me. Regardless of where I fight, fans are watching via the Internet. There is another pressure on me on the eve of the upcoming competition. I have suffered 3 consecutive defeats in the UFC. Another defeat could create difficulties for me on the way to the title. I always fight well. My home audience, my home walls are not pressure.

- Another Azerbaijani fighter, Nazim Sadikhov, will also test his strength at UFC Baku Fight Night. How do you assess his chances?

- I have known Nazim since 2017. He is a very strong athlete. He can fight both standing and wrestling. His opponent in Baku, a Brazilian athlete, is training in the same gym as me in Thailand. Nazim is much stronger than him. Unless something extraordinary happens, Sadikhov will win in Baku.

- A rematch with Mateusz Hamrot, whom you lost to in 2023, was expected in Baku. Why was Hamrot not an opponent in the Baku competition?

- We were supposed to fight in Saudi Arabia last September. He played to the public, made promises in front of everyone. However, when the UFC sent out contracts, Hamrot refused to sign. Of course, I am interested in fighting him. Not because he is higher than me in the rating - 7th place. It's just that he is a wrestler, and I fight on my feet. The UFC loves such fights. Also, I think that the result with Hamrot does not show our true strength. I lost to him because I broke my leg.

- How many victories do you need to win to return to the title fight? Bahomandes does not fall into the top 15 in the lightweight division. The upcoming test is a big fight for him, not you.

- I need to win in Baku so that I can challenge those who are higher up. I have been ready to fight since August of last year. But no one wanted to fight me. Because I fight standing up. This time, whoever wanted to fight me became an opponent. That is, the choice was not so great.

- In the fight with Justin Gaige in March, they said that you were exhausted. They say that you were tired mainly in the 3rd round. Don't such thoughts irritate you?

- In the first fight with Gaige, I could not distribute my strength correctly, I lost control. Although before that, there were fights where I won in the 3rd and even 5th rounds. What happened in March was purely due to lack of time. I accepted my challenge 7 days before the fight. I flew from one continent to another, plus there was a 12-hour time difference. I had to get tired in the 2nd round, like it or not.

- What do you have to say to the Azerbaijani fans in the end?

- See you soon. I will be 100% ready for the competition. I am sure that the fans will watch a very interesting fight.