The opening round was somewhat tentative, with Fiziev and Bahamondes both working to find their range and score something of significance. There were many kicks exchanged, and in between them some clean punches landed but nothing that appeared to hurt either athlete.

Rafael Fiziev was the first fighter from Azerbaijan to compete in the UFC and he returned home with an impressive win in the UFC Baku co-main event. To get the job done, Fiziev had to slow down a streaking Ignacio Bahamondes,