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Paulo Costa is doing something wild. 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. Costa 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.
Expect fireworks early when both guys start letting their hands go and testing each other's chins.
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. This 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. The 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 is now deep into preparation as he aims to prove his adaptability at 205 pounds against the undefeated Russian knockout artist.
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Aleksandar Rakic's recent form
Paulo Costa is doing something wild. 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. Costa 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.
Expect fireworks early when both guys start letting their hands go and testing each other's chins.
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. This 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. The 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 is now deep into preparation as he aims to prove his adaptability at 205 pounds against the undefeated Russian knockout artist.
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Azamat Murzakanov finish map
Azamat Murzakanov breakdown
Azamat Murzakanov's recent form
Pace delta
+0.6 significant strikes/min
Azamat Murzakanov averages 4.7 significant strikes per minute while Aleksandar Rakic sits at 4.1.
AI confidence
78%
Probability weighting from the AgentMMA simulator.
Finish radar
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Aleksandar Rakic vs Azamat Murzakanov odds: this page includes live Polymarket odds for this matchup.
