Brazilian fans are massively supporting Azamat Murzakanov ahead of his fight against their own countryman Paulo Costa at UFC 313. Costa has drawn criticism from his fellow Brazilians due to controversial statements about the country, its culture, and political decisions. Brazilian fans are writing supportive messages to Murzakanov in comments, promising to build him a monument if he knocks out Costa and declaring he would become a national hero alongside Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, and Neymar. Fans have also been posting photos of Murzakanov photoshopped into the Brazilian national team uniform, showing the unusual extent of their support for the foreign fighter.
Brazilian fans have thrown their support behind Russian light heavyweight Azamat Murzakanov ahead of his UFC 313 clash with compatriot Paulo Costa, in a remarkable show of solidarity with a foreign fighter over one of their own.
Murzakanov, nicknamed "The Professional," carries a 16-1-0 record into the fight and is ranked 12th in the light heavyweight division. The 37-year-old southpaw from Russia trains out of K Dojo Warrior Tribe and stands five-foot-ten with a 71-inch reach. He lands 4.7 significant strikes per minute at a 57 percent accuracy rate, and also contributes to the grappling side of a fight with 0.55 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Costa, known as "The Eraser," is a middleweight ranked 13th in his division and holds a 16-4-0 record. The 35-year-old Brazilian stands six-foot-one with a 72-inch reach and is one of the more prolific strikers in the UFC, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy. He trains out of Team Borracha and fights out of an orthodox stance.
The unusual reversal of national loyalty stems from controversial remarks Costa reportedly made about Brazil, its culture, and political decisions, which drew sharp criticism from Brazilian fans. The backlash has been vivid on social media, with supporters flooding Murzakanov's comments with messages of encouragement, promises of monument-building if he scores a knockout, and declarations that he would earn a place among Brazilian sporting icons. Photoshopped images of Murzakanov wearing the Brazilian national football team's jersey have also circulated widely.
Why it matters
- Costa fighting in front of a hostile Brazilian fanbase adds an unusual psychological dimension to the matchup
- A strong performance from Murzakanov could push him further up the light heavyweight rankings at number 12
- The crossover from middleweight for Costa makes the divisional stakes for both men significant heading into the card
