The UFC Vegas event from two weeks ago could easily have been treated as an aberration. Putting the fighters on ESPN rather than PPV and hosting the event at the UFC's own Apex training facility/TV studio instead of an arena full of paid fans is a sign that they could have treated it like just another show to fulfil their contractual obligations to Endeavour Group Holdings.

But the wins by Umar Nurmagomedov, Shavkhat Rakhmanov and Mateusz Gamrot – as well as the performance by the man he beat in a razor close decision, Arman Tsarukyan – made it seem like the event was a statement: There's a new generation of fighters in town.

If that event "could easily have"  and "made it seem like," the main event of this week's UFC Vegas silenced all doubts.

Tenth-ranked lightweight Rafael Fiziev was scheduled to face seventh-ranked Rafael dos Anjos in what was nicknamed the "Rafael derby" at UFC 272 on March 5 this year, however visa delays and positive COVID-19 tests delayed it to this weekend.

Had it taken place all those months ago, it may have been dismissed as simply another contenders' bout, but coming 14 days after an event dominated by guys from Dagestan in Russia, Kazakhstan, Poland and Armenia, the narrative has changed. All eyes were on Fiziev, the man from Kyrgyzstan who fights representing Azerbaijan, to see if he could be the latest post-Soviet sensation.

With a record of 11-1 that includes four post-fight bonuses in a row – two for performance, two for best fight of the show – there's a lot of hype behind Fiziev and the perfect test for a man like that is his opponent, Rafael dos Anjos.

In discussions about who is a legend, who is a Hall of Famer and who is the GOAT, for better or worse, dos Anjos is the bar a fighter has to cross in order to be taken seriously. His record of 31-14 is a who's who of big wins and big losses. The former lightweight champion has wins over the likes of Donald Cerrone, Benson Henderson, Nate Diaz and Anthony Pettis, and losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Tony Ferguson and, in his time up at welterweight, to Colby Covington and current champ Kamaru Usman.

Neither of RDA's last two wins, one over Paul Felder the other over Renato Moicano, was impressive on paper but they were both five-round main events that were made on short notice – Moicano stepped in on six days notice when Fiziev tested positive for COVID-19 – and it's that which proves how good they truly were.

This was on display from the very opening as RDA took control of the Octagon center, using his kicks and long pumping straight punches to keep Fiziev at range, neutralizing the newcomer's hard-hitting muay thai boxing.

Any time Fiziev took a step or two backwards, RDA would shoot for a takedown but inevitably ended up clinching against the cage. Commentators Brendan Fitzgerald and Michael Bisping stressed repeatedly that Fiziev has the second-highest takedown defense in UFC currently, having stuffed 95 percent of all attempts, so it seemed like this was dos Anjos ploughing uphill to try and make a statement.

In the second round, it became clear that this was also serving another purpose. Any time Fiziev landed anything, be it a probing jab or a full-on body kick, it clearly did damage. His stocky, broad shouldered physique doesn't flatter to deceive, he carries power. As soon as that was established, the name of the game changed.

For RDA, the latter part of the second and entirety of the third round became all about damage mitigation. The clinch, initially for getting takedowns, was now used for defense. It was necessary too; after 15 minutes of fighting, dos Anjos was covered in welts, including a deep cut on his arm from blocking a kick.

The slow drip of Fiziev's dominance was defined across three rounds by one-shot attacks and high effort clinch defense. In the fourth round, RDA had this figured out. He strung together combinations that forced Fiziev onto the back foot and, after timing a right hand, shot in for a single leg that eventually led to the first real takedown of the fight.

Fiziev was getting tired, RDA had him figured out; the tide was turning. Round five begun and Rafael Fiziev won by TKO in 18 seconds. RDA had spent all night limiting Fiziev by countering his attacks, now he went forwards and almost instantly got caught by a scintillating counter left hook. Referee Mark Smith called it as soon as the Brazilian fell to the ground, staring at the lights.

By finishing dos Anjos, Fiziev confirmed it. The new generation is here.

Post-fight, Bisping asked Fiziev who he wanted to fight next, expecting him to name another top 10 in his division. Instead, having found out who was the best Rafael in the UFC, Fiziev knew exactly who to call out: "Rafael Nadal," he said. "I can beat him in his sport, too."

(Cover: Referee Mark Smith raises the hand of Rafael Fiziev following his win over Rafael dos Anjos in the main event of UFC Vegas: dos Anjos vs. Fiziev at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., July 9, 2022. /Zuffa)