Brazilian MMA fans are overwhelmingly supporting Azamat Murzakanov ahead of his upcoming fight against Brazilian fighter Paulo Costa. Brazilian supporters are leaving comments promising to build Murzakanov a statue in Brazil if he knocks out Costa, and declaring him a potential national hero alongside Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, and Neymar. The unusual support from Costa's own countrymen stems from controversial statements Costa has made about Brazil, its culture, and political decisions. Fans are also mass-posting photos of Murzakanov photoshopped into Brazilian national team uniforms. This represents a rare situation where a fighter faces stronger opposition from his home country than his opponent does.
