Azamat Murzakanov and Paulo Costa weigh in ahead of UFC 327 this weekend

Azamat Murzakanov and Paulo Costa have made weight ahead of their light heavyweight bout at UFC 327, scheduled for this Friday, April 11.

Costa, nicknamed "The Eraser," makes a rare appearance outside of middleweight, where he is currently ranked 13th. The 35-year-old Brazilian, who trains out of Team Borracha, carries a professional record of 16-4-0 and holds an orthodox stance with a 72-inch reach. This marks only his second outing at light heavyweight in the UFC, following a previous appearance at the weight class against Marvin Vettori in 2021. A notably high-volume striker, Costa lands 6.26 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate. His last five bouts have all gone the full distance, a notable trend heading into Friday night.

Murzakanov, known as "The Professional," enters the fight ranked 12th in the light heavyweight division and brings a record of 16-1-0. The 37-year-old Russian southpaw, representing K Dojo Warrior Tribe, stands five-foot-ten with a 71-inch reach. He has strung together six consecutive victories inside the UFC, with his most recent three all ending by knockout or TKO. He lands 4.7 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy and adds a modest 0.55 takedowns per 15 minutes to his offensive arsenal.

Why it matters

• Costa moves up to light heavyweight again, testing whether his striking output translates against a bigger division's competition
• Murzakanov's six-fight win streak and three straight finishes push him toward the upper tier of a competitive 205-pound rankings picture
• The contrast in recent form is stark: Costa's last five decision results against Murzakanov's three successive stoppages sets up an intriguing stylistic question about whether either man can force a finish