Paulo Costa responds to Azamat Murzakanov's 'secret juice' comments

Paulo Costa has publicly responded to cryptic remarks made by light heavyweight contender Azamat Murzakanov ahead of their upcoming fight, with the Brazilian appearing visibly irritated by the Russian's suggestion that fighters from his country possess some kind of "secret juice."

Murzakanov, who fights out of K Dojo Warrior Tribe, made the comments in what appears to be a thinly veiled insinuation, stating that Russian fighters have a secret that will soon be revealed. "Very soon we will show what the secret is. What people from Russia have, you will soon find out," Murzakanov said. The 37-year-old southpaw carries a 16-1-0 record into the matchup and holds the number 12 ranking in the light heavyweight division. Standing five-foot-ten with a 71-inch reach, he lands 4.7 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy.

Costa, ranked 13th at middleweight and moving up in weight for the contest, fired back at the comments, though the precise wording of his response was not detailed. The 35-year-old Brazilian out of Team Borracha holds a 16-4-0 record and has long been one of the division's most aggressive pressure fighters, landing a remarkable 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy. Standing six-foot-one with a 72-inch reach, Costa possesses a size advantage over his opponent.

Why it matters

• Murzakanov's remarks have injected a provocative edge into what was already a compelling stylistic matchup between two aggressive strikers
• Both fighters rank inside the top 13 of their respective divisions, with Costa moving up from middleweight to take on a ranked light heavyweight
• The back-and-forth adds a personal dimension that raises the stakes heading into fight week
• If intentional, Murzakanov's comments could function as a psychological tactic targeting Costa, who has previously shown he is not difficult to provoke publicly