Azamat Murzakanov enters his upcoming fight against Paulo Costa with an unblemished professional record of 16-0, including a perfect 6-0 in the UFC. The light heavyweight is currently riding a three-fight knockout/TKO streak, and has finished 12 of his 16 career victories by stoppage. Murzakanov has recorded four one-punch knockout victories without any follow-up strikes needed—three with punches and one with a knee. Beyond MMA, Murzakanov is a four-time world champion in hand-to-hand combat and holds the title of Honored Master of Sport in that discipline.
Azamat Murzakanov carries one of the more pristine records in the UFC's light heavyweight division into his upcoming clash with Paulo Costa, sitting at 16 wins against a single loss with a perfect 6-0 mark inside the Octagon.
The 37-year-old Russian, who fights out of K Dojo Warrior Tribe under the nickname "The Professional," holds the number 12 ranking at light heavyweight and stands five-foot-ten with a 71-inch reach. A southpaw finisher by nature, Murzakanov has stopped 12 of his 16 opponents, and his current three-fight run has ended each time by knockout or TKO. Four of those career victories came via single-strike finishes — three with a single punch and one with a knee — requiring no follow-up ground-and-pound to seal the deal. Away from MMA, he is a four-time world champion in hand-to-hand combat and holds the title of Honored Master of Sport in that discipline. He averages 4.7 significant strikes per minute at a 57 percent accuracy rate.
Standing across from him will be Paulo Costa, the Brazilian middleweight known as "The Eraser," who moves into this fight ranked 13th in that division at 16-4. Costa is 35 years old, trains out of Team Borracha, and brings an orthodox stance along with a six-foot-one frame and a 72-inch reach. He is one of the more prolific volume strikers in the sport, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate — numbers that rank among the elite regardless of weight class.
Why it matters
- Murzakanov is unbeaten in the UFC and a win here would strengthen a light heavyweight title case
- Costa, a middleweight, is stepping up a full weight class, adding an unusual cross-divisional dynamic
- Both fighters are aggressive pressure strikers, making a tactical chess match unlikely
- A Murzakanov stoppage would extend his knockout streak to four and further cement his finishing reputation
