Monster Energy's Justin Gaethje Defeats Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313 in Las Vegas

• 36-Year-Old Gaethje Earns Unanimous Decision Victory After Three Rounds in Co-Main Event, Claims $50,000 "Fight of the Night" Bonus

LAS VEGAS, March 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Highlight is back! Monster Energy congratulates Justin Gaethje on defeating Rafael Fiziev via unanimous decision at UFC 313 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday night. In the night's co-main event fight contested in the Lightweight division, the 36-year-old from Tucson, Arizona, earned the win after three rounds. The spectacular battle also earned both fighters the UFC's $50,000 "Fight of the Night" bonus.

UFC 313: Pereira vs Ankalaev was contested in front of a live crowd of 18,869 spectators inside T-Mobile Arena. With five fights on the Main Card, the event was broadcast on ESPN pay-per-view and Prelims streamed on the ESPN+ platform.

Monster Energy's Gaethje (26-5) came to Las Vegas looking for a win after recently suffering a loss against Max Holloway at UFC 300 in April 2024. Initially, Gaethje was supposed to fight American Dan Hooker, who was forced to withdraw from the fight due to injury.

Gaethje's opponent on Saturday, Azerbaijani fighter Fiziev (12-4) took the fight after his most recent loss to Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Fight Night 228 in September 2023.   

As the night's co-main event got underway, both fighters charged with reckless abandon in a wild opening sequence. Within less than one minute, Fiziev swept Gaethje to the mat and attempted to secure a reverse triangle, which Gaethje escaped. After both fighters exchanged punches and leg kicks, Gaethje rocked Fiziev with big overhead right hand before the end of the round.

Gaethje dialed up the aggression in the second round, finding openings for hard right hooks that stung his opponent. Towards the end of Round 2, Gaethje dropped the challenger to the canvas with a heavy uppercut, followed by fierce ground and pound, but Fiziev survived until the bell.

The final round saw Gaethje assert his dominance with another big uppercut, followed by elbows to the midsection. As Fiziev attempted to capitalize on his Muay Thai skills, Gaethje shut him down with punches and a surprise head kick. In the final moments of the fight, Gaethje connected precise one-two combinations and remained unfazed by Fiziev's body shots. When all was said and done, Gaethje was pronounced the winner by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

"I had to come back. I had to show everybody," said Gaethje after returning to the victory column at UFC 313. "I don't care how far down you are…It's on you. You have to get back on the horse."

The fast-paced fight earned both athletes the UFC's $50,000 "Fight of the Night" bonus for the second time. Their first battle earned the award at UFC 286 in March 2023. Gaethje secured the victory in both fights by decision.

What's next for Gaethje? At the UFC 313 post-fight press conference, he shared his determination to fight champion Islam Makhachev for the Lightweight division title. "I want to fight for the belt, obviously. That's a much different matchup than the one I just had." Stay tuned for more!

Monster Energy's elite UFC athletes include Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, Belal Muhammad, Dricus Du Plessis, Merab Dvalishvili, Valentina Shevchenko, Zhang Weili, Marlon Vera, Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje, Brandon Moreno, Giga Chikadze, Johnny Walker, Brendan Allen, Jalin Turner, Sean Strickland, Dan Ige, Diego Lopes, Daniel Zellhuber, Derrick Lewis, Alexa Grasso, Raul Rosas Jr., Tatsuro Taira, and Shara Magomedov.

For more on Monster Energy's MMA athletes, visit www.monsterenergy.com. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok.

About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, bands, believers, and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at www.monsterenergy.com.

SOURCE Monster Energy