Rafael Fiziev shares no-holds barred take on feeling pressure ahead of short-notice Justin Gaethje clash at UFC 313: "I train all my life"

Rafael Fiziev has shown no signs of worry regarding his upcoming short-notice clash with Justin Gaethje at UFC 313. In fact, during a recent interview, he took the time to explain exactly why he is so at ease with fighting Gaethje with such little time to prepare, especially given that he has previously lost to 'The Highlight.'

For Fiziev, the reason is simple: he is a fighter. Thus, he is always training and always in fight shape. Moreover, he is eager to return to the octagon after a long layoff, and will be determined to remind the entire lightweight roster why he is such a highly touted striker.

"I train all my life, and I fight since 11, 12 years old. So, for me, this is not first time like that, because on amateur career... yes, amateur and professional is bit different, but before in amateur career, I have that already. Like, 'Oh, next week we have country championship of hand-to-hand fighting. You want to fight?' I said, 'Let's go.' And this is not only one fight, they have five or six fights. So, it's almost same. And also, I am fighter. I have to be ready everyday."

Check out Rafael Fiziev's thoughts on his short-notice UFC 313 fight (0:45):

The familiarity he has with Gaethje almost certainly factored into his decision to face the former interim lightweight champion on short-notice. Their first encounter was highly competitive, with Gaethje winning via majority decision. However, Fiziev believes the fight deserves a closer look.

Now, he has his chance at vengeance, and will do everything in his power to rectify his past loss to Gaethje.

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Rafael Fiziev spoke similarly about Justin Gaethje in a different interview

Rafael Fiziev explained his decision to face Justin Gaethje in an earlier interview just days ago. The Muay Thai buzzsaw described the thrill and desire of the fight, which prompted him to replace an injured Dan Hooker against 'The Highlight.'

"If I see the perfect battle, I cannot say no. And yeah, I wish a speedy recovery to Hooker, but this fight againstt Gaethje, it's really a surprise to me. Short-notice? Yes, iit's not easy and this is very big risk. It's very big risk, but I love this risk. We are fighters, I'm born with this. I fight since 10 years old. Every month, every two month, every week sometimes. And this is my life."

Check out Rafael Fiziev explaining his decision to fight Justin Gaethje:

A win, especially on short-notice, at UFC 313, over someone like Gaethje, could earn him a title eliminator for the lightweight belt.