![Lightweight contenders and friends Rafael Fiziev (left) and Brad Riddell (right) at the UFC Vegas 44 weigh-ins [Image Credit: @ufc on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/12/fbaa4-16386860596761-1920.jpg)
![Lightweight contenders and friends Rafael Fiziev (left) and Brad Riddell (right) at the UFC Vegas 44 weigh-ins [Image Credit: @ufc on Instagram]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Rafael Fiziev reciprocated the respect shown by Brad Riddell at UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Aldo on Saturday. Fiziev defeated Riddell via TKO with a spinning wheel kick in the third and final round of their bout at the UFC Apex.
'Ataman' and 'Quake' are good friends and have shown mutual admiration for each other throughout the fight week. The former lauded his opponent during a post-fight octagon interview with UFC legend Daniel Cormier.
He then took to Twitter to insist that they deserved the $50,000 'Fight of the Night' bonus award for the event. However, they didn't claim it as the Cheyanne Vlismas vs. Mallory Martin prelims fight took the honors.
"Big respect to @bradquakeriddel (Brad Riddell), I love you brother. We deserve the fight of the night bonus!" said Fiziev.
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Here's Rafael Fiziev's tweet about him and Riddell deserving of the 'Fight of the Night' bonus at UFC Vegas 44:
In the main event of the night, No.5-ranked bantamweight contender Jose Aldo overcame No.4-ranked Rob Font via unanimous decision (50-45 x2, 49-46) to move one step closer to a title shot.
Rafael Fiziev will now move above Brad Riddell in the UFC lightweight rankings
Rafael Fiziev came up with the 13th spinning wheel kick finish in UFC history to notch his fifth straight victory since losing to Magomed Mustafaev at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Oleinik in April 2019.
Rafael Fiziev (now 11-1) was ranked No.14 in the UFC lightweight division before Saturday's co-main event, while Brad Riddell (now 10-2) occupied the No.12 spot.
Watch how Rafael Fiziev finished Brad Riddell in stunning fashion below:
Riddell, on the other hand, lost for the first time in almost three years after going on an impressive seven-bout winning streak in his professional mixed martial arts career.
