What is Rafael Fiziev's religion? Exploring how 'Ataman's' beliefs led him to leave his home country

Top-shelf dynamic lightweight contender Rafael Fiziev will replace Dan Hooker to face Justin Gaethje in a rematch at UFC 313 in Las Vegas.

The first fight at UFC 286 saw Gaethje win the clash by majority decision. Fiziev, who's returning to action after recovering from a knee injury, plans to avenge the loss to Gaethje and reestablish his footing in the talent-stacked lightweight division. Meanwhile, Gaethje, who's coming off a loss against Max Holloway at UFC 300, wants to secure a title shot with a win against Fiziev.

Ahead of their clash, we take a look at Fiziev's religion and his beliefs:

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What is Rafael Fiziev's religion?

According to his Wikipedia page, Rafael Fiziev is a devout Muslim who follows the Shia sect of Islam. However, he opted out of national representation and refused to carry the Kyrgyzstani flag due to the country's alleged religious discrimination of Shia Muslims.

Fiziev was born to an Azerbaijani father and a Russian mother in Kazakhstan. He later moved to Kyrgyzstan, where he trained in Muay Thai and represented the country in international competitions. However, his Shia beliefs led to controversy in Sunni-majority Kyrgyzstan.

In 2021, Fiziev stopped representing Kyrgyzstan publicly after facing criticism from Maksatbek Toktomushev, the country’s former chief mufti (the head of a state's Islamic legal experts). The controversy arose when Fiziev shared a visit to a Shiite mosque (a place of worship for Shia Muslims) in Iraq.

Toktomushev, a Sunni cleric, publicly condemned him, suggesting that athletes should avoid mixing faith with their profession. This backlash, according to many, stands as an example of the reported sectarian divide in Kyrgyzstan, where Shia Muslims often face discrimination.

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Sean O'Malley's coach previews upcoming Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev clash

Rafael Fiziev is stepping in on short notice to replace the injured Dan Hooker at UFC 313. He will stir up the old competitive fire as he gears up to take on Justin Gaethje in a rematch on the upcoming UFC pay-per-view card.

Sean O'Malley's coach, Tim Welch, recently analyzed the matchup on his YouTube channel. He said:

"Fiziev is back in it. They fought March.18, 2023, [and] went to a majority decision and beat the absolute tar out of each other. So now, rematch. Five rounds! Fiziev takes it on short notice. Real short notice... I was peeping out Fiziev's Instagram, and the dude's been training. The dude's been training. He's looking shredded as always."

He added:

"Justin Gaethje, two-two in his last four, coming off that loss against Max Holloway. This is going to be his first fight back since UFC 300 when Max Holloway clubbed him with that right hand. And, uh, he's not taking any easy fights. Before that, he beat Dustin Poirier, beat Fiziev, and he lost to Charles Oliveira before that. Now, Fiziev's up."

Check out Tim Welch's comments below: