In that quest to stay strong, Fiziev began supplementing his coaching and training at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket with spending long stretches at Sanford MMA (now Kill Cliff FC) in South Florida, working alongside a host of high-profile stars and emerging competitors that opened his eyes to his own potential.
“Florida and Thailand are very similar,” began Fiziev, who has alternated between taking home a Fight of the Night bonus and a Performance of the Night bonus over his last four outings. “It’s beaches, you train in the morning, and then you can go to the beach and swim a little bit, take a sun, the same as in Thailand. Here at Sanford, I have a lot of good sparring partners, though; everyone is a professional here.
Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs Fiziev
“For me, it’s a big experience because when I come to Sanford — I see the big superstars like Kamaru Usman, Rory MacDonald, Robbie Lawler, Michael Chandler and I train with these guys. My eyes opened and I understand that ‘this guy is like me, and I’m like him; I can do all the same things as them.’
“It’s made me believe more in my power.”
Fiziev tends to use the word “power” in place of “ability” from time-to-time, but that doesn’t mean he also doesn’t believe in his actual power.
The suddenness of that power was on display in his first-round knockout win over Renato Moicano at UFC 256, where he dropped the Brazilian veteran with a three-punch combo consisting of a lead left to the body, a right to the jaw that straightened him up, and a left hook that put him on the canvas, all of which landed with stunning quickness and accuracy.
