
Rafael Nadal is one of the toughest competitors in the history of sports. It's a dream for many to beat the tennis legend on the court as the Spaniard is known for his remarkable grit and resilience. However, Nadal has been challenged by MMA star Rafael Fiziev, who claimed he can beat the Spanish great in his own sport in a bid to decide who is the best 'Rafael in sport'.
Lightweight star Fiziev was on top of the world after he knocked out Rafael dos Anjos in a clash between the two at the UFC Vegas 58 on Sunday. It was one of the most important wins of Fiziev's career as he delivered a skull-rattling fifth-round knockout to Dos Anjos in the fight.
The Azerbaijan fighter won the battle between two Rafaels in the ring but decided to go one step ahead during his post-match interview as he ended up calling out tennis legend Nadal. When asked who he would like to fight next, Fiziev sounded out a warning to Nadal claiming he could even battle it out on a tennis court with the Spaniard for the title of best Rafael in sport.
"Rafael Nadal! Yeah, where (is) him? I can beat him in his sport too," said Fiziev in his post-match interview after his win against Dos Anjos. The Azerbaijan said he has already established himself as the best Rafael in UFC but wants to take on Nadal to be the best Rafael in sport.
“Now we know who is the best Rafael in the UFC. Now I want to make new challenge who is the best Rafael in the sport. Rafael Nadal, come here, come here," he said calling out Nadal.
"I hear about him a long time but I never see him in life, for real. Of course, everyone knows this guy," the UFC star added.
Nadal was recently seen in action during the ongoing Wimbledon 2022 where he continued his red-hot form after winning back-to-back Grand Slam titles this year. Nadal was set to face Australia's Nick Kyrgios in the semi-final but had to pull out due to an abdominal injury.
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He had suffered the injury during his semi-final clash against Taylor Fritz in the quarter-final and was forced to hand a walk-over to Kyrgios ahead of the semi-final. Nadal is the most successful player of all-time in men's tennis with a record 22 Grand Slam titles to his name.