Rafael Fiziev has revealed that he was having serious issues with his vision at the start of the second round of his main event fight with Manuel Torres at UFC Fight Night 280 this past weekend, just moments prior to landing a spectacular strike that would pave the way for his KO victory.

“This guy is strong, he [has] reach, long hands, power,” Fiziev said in a post-fight interview backstage. “…[His] last jab on my eye, I didn’t see anything when I opened my both eyes, but when I closed my left eye, I see good.

“Beginning of the second round, I didn’t see anything. I opened my two eyes, I didn’t see anything, like everything double. I think, OK, I’m just throwing spinning back kick because I don’t need the eye to see that, and I throw it like, ‘Oh, man.’”

Fiziev’s wheel kick was powerful enough to break through Torres guard and leave him stunned, enabling ‘Ataman’ to rush in and put him down with follow-up strikes, and then seal the knockout finish with a brief burst of ground-and-pound.

It was a stunning sequence, and has proved to be just what Fiziev needed after a difficult few years that saw him lose four out of his previous five fights, while also having to battle back from an ACL surgery that kept him out for more than a year-and-a-half.

“I’m feeling amazing, man. After this loss in Australia, [to] come back like that, I feel good, I feel great,” Fiziev said. “Zero pressure, zero pressure.

“It’s a very special win, of course. It’s a very special win in my career, because it’s a black line, …last five fights, four lost, and only two bonuses in all of these five losses. And now it’s the third one, so I’m happy.”