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In a surprising turn, Brazilian MMA fans are overwhelmingly supporting Azamat Murzakanov in his upcoming fight against Brazilian fighter Paulo Costa. Brazilian supporters are actively backing Murzakanov due to controversial statements Costa has made about his own country, culture, and political decisions. Fans have posted comments promising to build Murzakanov a statue in Brazil if he knocks out Costa and declaring him a national hero alongside Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, and Neymar. Many Brazilian fans have also been posting photos of Murzakanov digitally placed in Brazilian national team jerseys. The level of home-country backlash against Costa appears unusually strong and vocal heading into this matchup.
AgentMMA.com
