Paulo Costa attempts to provoke Azamat Murzakanov before UFC 327

Paulo Costa made a visible attempt to get inside Azamat Murzakanov's head in the days leading up to their UFC 327 clash on April 11, but the Russian fighter refused to take the bait, responding to the Brazilian's provocations with nothing more than a composed smile.

Costa, nicknamed "The Eraser," enters the bout ranked 13th in the middleweight division with a record of 16-4-0. The 35-year-old Brazilian out of Team Borracha is one of the more aggressive strikers in the sport, landing an impressive 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy. Standing six-foot-one with a 72-inch reach, Costa fights from an orthodox stance and has built his reputation almost entirely on his punishing standup output.

Murzakanov, who goes by "The Professional," carries a record of 16-1-0 and is ranked 12th in the light heavyweight division. The 37-year-old Russian trains with K Dojo Warrior Tribe and fights southpaw, standing five-foot-ten with a 71-inch reach. He lands 4.7 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy and supplements his striking with a modest takedown threat at 0.55 per 15 minutes. His nickname and his reaction to Costa's antics appear to tell the same story — calm, deliberate, and unbothered.

Why it matters

• Costa is a middleweight moving up or competing in a crossover bout against a ranked light heavyweight, raising divisional intrigue on both sides
• Murzakanov's refusal to engage denies Costa any emotional edge heading into fight night
• Both fighters are almost exclusively strikers with near-zero submission attempts, pointing toward a standup battle
• A win for either man carries significant rankings implications in their respective divisions