Round 1 – The lightweights start the main event with a touch of gloves. Fiziev starts the action with a hard right kick to the body. RDA responds a moment later with one of his own. Fiziev fires a kick to the body and then just misses with a hard hard kick. A nice punch from RDA lands as he pushes forward. Fiziev lands a front kick to the body. RDA fires for a takedown, resulting in a clinch against the cage. RDA lands with his knees on his thighs before dropping the levels to complete the takedown. Fiziev keeps the fight going and eventually breaks free. Fiziev lands a nice combination just after the exit. RDA returns fire with a kick. Fiziev gets some flying knee, but not enough to hurt RDA. A hard outside leg kick lands for RDA. Fiziev goes to the body with a kick before they exchange punches. RDA shoots in for another takedown, resulting in another clinch against the fence. They separate and return to the center of the cage. Fiziev fires off a sharp combination of punches in the closing seconds. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Fiziev.
Round 2 – A touch of gauntlets and they again exchange kicks in the middle of the cage. Fiziev fires quick punches to the body. A moment later, Fiziev catches a kick and clutches, but decides to let go. An accidental eye poke from Fiziev causes RDA to take a moment to recover. They come back to it after a short break and the action is fast. Fiziev unloads a combo and RDA shoots back. Another takedown attempt by RDA fails, but he takes the back, which is against the cage. Fiziev has his back to the fence and separates a second later. RDA lands a nice right jab. Fiziev goes with body-to-head punches. They exchange punches in the middle. RDA paints a kick and gets a takedown, but Fiziev is back on his feet almost immediately and holds the clinch against the cage. They separate and return to the center and conduct strikes. RDA wins again and Fiziev reverses position. Back in the middle, RDA sneaks into a nice uppercut. Fiziev lands a crisp combination while RDA tries to close the gap. Fiziev lands a kick to the body and RDA responds with a punch. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Fiziev.
Round 3 – Fiziev opens with a front kick to the body after a glove touch. RDA looks for the takedown early and they land on the cage. RDA almost takes his back and kicks out the leg, momentarily knocking Fiziev to the ground. Fiziev bounces back quickly, but RDA doesn’t give up the clinch and takedown. RDA wants a single, but Fiziev escapes. They exchange punches and kicks down the middle for a moment, but RDA goes back for another takedown. Referee Mark Smith calls for action in the clinch. Fiziev gets free and returns to the center. They exchange leg kicks. Fiziev goes to the body with a right kick. RDA looks for the left hand, but Fiziev dives under it and latches on, pushing RDA into the cage. They get back in the middle and Fiziev lands a nice right hand as they start the trade. RDA lands a nice jab in return. Fiziev gets a right hand around the defense from RDA. They continue to exchange punches and kicks until the round ends. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Fiziev.
Round 4 – Fiziev opens with a front kick to the body, triggering an intense exchange of blows. RDA clutches and pushes Fiziev into the fence. The referee steps in fairly quickly to demand action, but they break up and trade punches down the middle again. RDA looks for the clinch again, but Fiziev counters and shoves RDA into the cage. They break and RDA goes for a flying knee and follows with a few punches. Fiziev hangs on and pushes RDAs against the fence again. They fight for position for a moment before going back to the center. RDA goes for a well-timed takedown, but Fiziev defends it. Fiziev fires punches but RDA rushes in for a takedown and it’s his best yet. He gets both hands folded, lifts and slams Fiziev onto the canvas. Fiziev quickly gets his back to the cage and begins the wallwalk. RDA stays heavy and keeps him seated. Fiziev bounces back in the final seconds and RDA lands a nice left elbow in front of the horn. MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for RDA.
Round 5 – They trade kicks to the body to start. Fiziev charges forward with a right knee and right hand, followed by a hard clean left hook that drops RDA. Fiziev swarms out and the fight ends. Fiziev ends the show with an impressive finish in the early moments of the last lap.
result: Rafael Fiziyev defeated. Rafael dos Anjos via KO (punches) – Round 5, 0:18
recap: UFC on ESPN 39 Results: Rafael Fiziev KOs Rafael dos Anjos, improves streak to six in a row
photos: UFC on ESPN 39: The best photos from Las Vegas
records: Rafael dos Anjos (31-14 MMA, 20-12 UFC), Rafael Fiziev (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC)
division: Easy
transmission: ESPN/ESPN+
referee: Mark Smith
To judge: Derek Cleary, Sal D’Amato, Junichiro Kamijo