Azamat Murzakanov ties record for most wins by shortest light heavyweights in UFC

Azamat Murzakanov will carry a piece of UFC history into his light heavyweight bout against Paulo Costa at UFC 327 on April 11, having tied the record for the most wins by a UFC light heavyweight standing under 180 cm tall.

Murzakanov, nicknamed "The Professional," enters the fight at 16-1-0 overall and ranked 12th in the light heavyweight division. The 37-year-old Russian, who trains out of K Dojo Warrior Tribe, stands 178 cm with a 180 cm reach. His six-fight UFC winning streak matches the undefeated mark set by Frank Shamrock in the same height category, making him the most successful active UFC fighter under 180 cm in the 205-pound division. He lands 4.7 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy, and should he earn a title shot, he would become the first light heavyweight challenger under 180 cm to compete for the belt in 27 years. For context, both Daniel Cormier and Rashad Evans measured exactly 180 cm, just outside this threshold.

Standing in his way is Paulo Costa, "The Eraser," a 35-year-old Brazilian ranked 13th in the middleweight division who is stepping up in weight for this contest. Costa carries a 16-4-0 record and is one of the more prolific strikers in the sport, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy. The six-foot-one, 185 cm Brazilian holds a seven-centimeter height advantage and a three-centimeter reach edge over Murzakanov.

Why it matters

• A win could push Murzakanov, already ranked 12th, further into light heavyweight title contention
• Costa, ranked 13th at middleweight, moves up a division, adding an unusual cross-divisional dimension to the matchup
• Murzakanov's southpaw stance against Costa's orthodox striking sets up a stylistically sharp contrast
• The historical footnote around height adds extra weight to what is already a meaningful divisional bout