Azamat Murzakanov has stated that a victory over Paulo Costa would bring him significantly closer to a light heavyweight title fight. Murzakanov emphasized this despite Costa making his debut in the light heavyweight division after competing at middleweight. The Russian contender believes this matchup represents an important step toward championship contention. Costa's move up in weight class adds an interesting dynamic to the bout. Murzakanov appears confident that defeating a recognizable name like Costa will elevate his standing in the division regardless of it being Costa's first fight at 205 pounds.
