Andrey Pulyaev believes Azamat Murzakanov lost to Paulo Costa primarily due to poor cardio. Pulyaev expressed disappointment that Murzakanov was defeated on his birthday. He noted that he himself is not a cardio machine either. Pulyaev also raised questions about how well Costa recovered between the second and third rounds, observing that Costa appeared very tired but came out fresh for the third round.
Russian fighter Andrey Pulyaev has spoken out on teammate Azamat Murzakanov's defeat to Paulo Costa, pointing to conditioning as the decisive factor in the loss.
Pulyaev, a 28-year-old southpaw from Russia competing out of Storm Shlemenko Fight Team, carries a 10-5 record and brings considerable striking output of his own, landing 3.84 significant strikes per minute at a 56 percent accuracy rate. He noted with some irony that he himself is not a cardio machine, adding weight to his assessment of Murzakanov's fitness struggles. He also expressed personal disappointment that the defeat came on Murzakanov's birthday.
Murzakanov, known as "The Professional," is a 37-year-old light heavyweight ranked 12th in his division with a record of 16-1. Fighting out of K Dojo Warrior Tribe, the southpaw Russian stands five-foot-ten with a 71-inch reach and lands 4.7 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy. The loss represents a significant setback for a fighter who had built a near-perfect professional record.
Costa, nicknamed "The Eraser," is a 35-year-old middleweight from Brazil ranked 13th in his division and holds a 16-4 record. He is one of the sport's most prolific volume strikers, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy. Pulyaev's observations centered specifically on Costa's recovery between rounds two and three, noting that despite appearing visibly exhausted late in the second, Costa returned for the third round looking noticeably refreshed — a detail Pulyaev found worth questioning.
Why it matters
- Murzakanov's only professional loss now comes against a ranked middleweight, raising questions about how he rebounds in the light heavyweight top 15
- Pulyaev's comments about Costa's between-round recovery add an unusual layer of scrutiny to the result
- The remarks come from inside Murzakanov's own camp, lending them particular credibility and weight
