Justin Gaethje is preparing to see a familiar face staring back at him in the new UFC 313 co-main event as he faces Rafael Fiziev in a rematch now scheduled for March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
UFC officials announced the new matchup on Wednesday after Dan Hooker was forced off the card with a broken hand suffered in training.
Of course, Gaethje and Fiziev first met back in 2023 in a Fight of the Night at UFC 286 in London. In the end, Gaethje scored a majority decision win but now Fiziev has the chance at revenge when they meet again in just about 10 days’ time.
The fight also serves as Fiziev’s return to action after he suffered a torn ACL in his knee during a fight against Mateusz Gamrot back in September 2023. The injury led to a second straight loss for Fiziev after he previously fell to Gaethje, which stopped a six-fight unbeaten streak in the UFC.
Now Fiziev competes for the first time in nearly 18 months when he faces Gaethje in a rematch at UFC 313.
The new three-round co-main event pitting Gaethje against Fiziev leads to the headliner where Alex Pereira defends his light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev.
