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The Eraser is jumping up to light heavyweight for the first time to face the scariest unbeaten prospect in the division, Azamat Murzakanov. Costa turned down a middleweight fight against Brunno Ferreira because it wouldn't move him closer to a title, and the UFC responded with a crazy offer: beat Murzakanov and we'll rank you top five in BOTH divisions. That's the kind of opportunity you can't pass up, even if it means facing a dude who's 16 and 0 with five straight UFC finishes.\n\nCosta moved his entire camp to Florida to train under Andre Benkei at UFC Gym Largo, bringing in elite grappler Yuri Simoes to sharpen his wrestling. His coach recently explained the move up, saying Costa's adaptability will expose Murzakanov as a one dimensional power puncher. But here's the thing: Murzakanov just starched Aleksandar Rakic in the first round back in October, and before that he flatlined Brendson Ribeiro in June. The Russian southpaw is ranked number six and hunting for a title shot of his own.\n\nThis is a pure striker's dream. Murzakanov throws heat from his southpaw stance and has finished four of his last five UFC wins by knockout. Costa brings that legendary pressure and those nasty body shots that folded Devin Clark and dropped Luke Rockhold. Both guys land hard, both guys come forward, and neither one is known for backing down. Costa's moving up in weight but he's still got that scary power, and Murzakanov has never faced anyone with Costa's experience at the elite level.\n\nThe fight is locked in for UFC 327 in Miami on April 11, with Murzakanov sitting at number six in the light heavyweight rankings. Costa's Florida camp under Andre Benkei has wrapped up, with the Brazilian now in the final 48 hours before fight night. The weight cut is underway and both fighters are deep in their mental preparation for what promises to be an absolute war.\n\nUPD (9th of April): We're now just two days away from fight night, and Costa has officially begun his weight cut in Miami with his team reporting he looks strong and comfortable at the higher weight class heading into Friday's weigh ins.\n\nUPD (9th of April): The atmosphere in Miami is absolutely electric as Costa's massive Brazilian fanbase has already started flooding the city, with the arena expected to be packed and deafening when these two knockout artists finally collide on Saturday night.","key_storylines":["Costa chasing history as two division top five fighter","Murzakanov's perfect 16 and 0 record on the line","New Florida camp has Costa sharper than ever"],"finishing_window":"Expect fireworks early when both guys start letting their hands go and testing each other's chins."},"advantages":{"striking":{"advantage":"Paulo Costa","difference":"33.2%","values":{"fighter1":6.26,"fighter2":4.7}},"grappling":{"advantage":"Azamat Murzakanov","difference":"71.9%","values":{"fighter1":0.32,"fighter2":0.55}},"defense":{"advantage":"Azamat Murzakanov","difference":"8.8%","values":{"fighter1":80,"fighter2":87}}},"prediction_factors":["Statistical analysis","Fighting style matchup","Recent performance trends","Physical advantages","Historical data patterns"]},"related_links":{"fighter1_profile":"https://agentmma.com/fighters/3302-paulo-costa","fighter2_profile":"https://agentmma.com/fighters/6459-azamat-murzakanov","all_articles":"https://agentmma.com/articles"}}