Dominick Reyes stopped Azamat Murzakanov by first-round knockout at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi. The finish came at 2:40 of Round 1 via a head kick and punches. The card at Etihad Arena is headlined by Alexander Volkanovski defending his featherweight title against Movsar Evloev.
Dominick Reyes needed just 2:40 to knock out Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, ending the light heavyweight clash in the first round with a head kick and follow-up punches, MMA Fighting reported. The result came on October 24 at Etihad Arena, on a card headlined by Alexander Volkanovski's featherweight title defense against Movsar Evloev.
Reyes, a 36-year-old southpaw from the United States, now stands at 16-5 and entered the night ranked eighth at light heavyweight. Nicknamed "The Devastator," he fights out of Teixeira MMA & Fitness and brings a 6-foot-4 frame with a 77-inch reach. He lands 5.39 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy. Before this win, his most recent recorded fight was a split decision over Johnny Walker at UFC 327 on April 11, 2026. That followed a first-round knockout loss to Carlos Ulberg in September 2025, and a first-round stoppage of Nikita Krylov at UFC 314 in April 2025.
Murzakanov, 37, came in ranked seventh with a 16-1 record before the loss. The Russian southpaw, who trains at K Dojo Warrior Tribe, is a much shorter fighter at 5-foot-10 with a 71-inch reach. He averages 4.7 significant strikes per minute with 57 percent accuracy, and his takedown rate of 0.55 per 15 minutes is nearly double Reyes' 0.29. His most recent recorded fight was a third-round knockout loss to Paulo Costa at UFC 327 on April 11, 2026, which was his first defeat in the UFC. Before that, he had stopped Aleksandar Rakic and Brendson Ribeiro, both in the first round.
Why it matters
- Both men were ranked in the light heavyweight top 10, with Murzakanov one spot ahead of Reyes on paper, so the result could shift the order of the division's middle tier.
- Murzakanov has now lost back-to-back fights by knockout, while Reyes has won two of his last three recorded bouts.
- The matchup carried a clear reach contrast: Reyes holds a six-inch edge in height and a six-inch edge in reach (196 cm to 180 cm), and he used that range to land the head kick.
Saturday, October 24, 2026
