RAFAEL FIZIEV grinned ear to ear as he showed off his battered and bloodied face following defeat to Justin Gaethje.
The lightweight brawlers lived up to expectations in the UFC 286 co-headliner at the O2 Arena.
And it was Gaethje, 34, who edged a majority decision after three thrilling rounds in London.
Fiziev, 30, was covered in blood and bruises post-fight while sporting a closed left eye but beamed as he addressed his fans.
He said: "All good. This is nice. We're born for this."
Gaethje landed 66 significant head trikes with a 49 per cent accuracy and joked of finally going for a takedown while trying to avoid a war.
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He said: “I literally tried not to do that. “The perfect dance partner.
"I got my takedown, everybody can shut the f*** up now. Not the fans, not the fans. The critics, I love you guys."
"These guys are young, hungry and that’s a dangerous motherf***** right there.
Fiziev, 30, was on a six-fight win streak before running into Gaethje.
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Now the former lightweight title challenger – who lost to UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2020 – wants another shot at the belt.
He said: "These guys are young, hungry that's a dangerous guy right there. But I ain't going to be around much longer.
"I'm trying one more run at the title."
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