The dueling Rafael’s are headed to UFC 272 on Saturday, March 5, with the veteran Dos Anjos hoping to turn away the challenge of the surging Fiziev. 

Fiziev is facing a tested, serviceable veteran

Fiziev continues his steady climb up the lightweight ladder against an opponent that may be ripe for the picking. We’ve seen Fiziev perform very well against methodical opponents in recent fights. He was last seen kicking Brad Riddell’s head almost clean off in December, and his victory against Bobby Green prior to that indicates he’s ready for big things.

He is a volume striker who lands at a very high rate, but his takedown defense will be key here. Luckily for Fiziev, he’s tough to take down and can defend himself well if he does go to the ground.

Dos Anjos has to play the long game

A trip back down the lightweight scales cured some of Dos Anjos’ woes. His narrow victory over Paul Felder snapped a two-fight losing streak that ended his disappointing run at welterweight, but it also indicates that he might not have much left to give in his old stomping grounds.

Dos Anjos has fought some of the best fighters in the sport today, and he’s got a nasty bag of tricks that he can open up if Fiziev gets too predictable. It would be a mistake for Dos Anjos to engage Fiziev head on, but his grappling and veteran savvy can keep him competitive as the fight goes on.

Fiziev will avoid the mat and stop Dos Anjos

Dos Anjos did not look particularly good against Felder, and is overmatched at this stage of his career against Fiziev. However, if he can bypass Fiziev’s guard and keep him grounded, he could feasibly pull it off. Fiziev’s busy striking often leaves him open to counters, but Dos Anjos isn’t going to take any extended exchanges in close quarters once he feels his power. The Muay Thai specialist can explode on Dos Anjos at any time, and Dos Anjos might not have the chin or the legs to sustain such a shot anymore.

With only five stoppages to his name, Dos Anjos isn’t going to have much luck establishing his offense. We like Fiziev here to blitz the veteran, overwhelming him with strikes and getting out by the second round.

UFC 272 pick: Fiziev