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UFC Light Heavyweight

Azamat Murzakanov VS Paulo Costa

Kaseya Center, Miami, Florida, U.S.

Tale of the Tape

16-2-0 Record 16-4-0
36 Age 34
178 cm Height 185 cm
182 cm Reach 183 cm
southpaw Stance orthodox
81% Finish rate 81%
75% KO rate 75%
6% Sub rate 6%

Result Summary

Paulo Costa def. Azamat Murzakanov TKO (kick) · R3 1:23

Paulo Costa and Azamat Murzakanov engaged in a heavy-hitting battle that kept fans on the edge of their seats. The first two rounds were highly competitive; Murzakanov repeatedly exploded into the pocket with fast boxing combinations, while Costa worked punishing body kicks and heavy pressure to slow the Russian's movement. Entering the third round, Costa began to fully read Murzakanov's timing, establishing Octagon control. Just over a minute into the final frame, Costa feinted to drop Murzakanov's guard, then unleashed a thunderous head kick that landed flush. The strike immediately separated Murzakanov from his consciousness, prompting the referee to jump in and wave off the contest at 1:23 of Round 3.

Fight Overview

Undefeated Murzakanov enters with perfect power‑knockout record, while Costa makes his light heavyweight debut after a successful middleweight run. It’s a test of a rising knockout artist against a seasoned striker moving up in weight.

Keys to Victory

Azamat Murzakanov

  1. Press forward and unleash his heavy punches early
  2. Use aggressive combinations to overwhelm Costa’s defense
  3. Maintain a high pace to prevent Costa from finding rhythm

Paulo Costa

  1. Employ footwork and counters to exploit Murzakanov’s aggression
  2. Target the body and mix kicks to disrupt Murzakanov’s forward pressure
  3. Stay patient and look for a single clean shot to end the fight

Last 5 fights

Azamat Murzakanov

  1. W Aleksandar Rakić KO · R1 3:11 · 25 OCT 2025
  2. W Brendson Ribeiro TKO · R1 3:25 · 7 JUN 2025
  3. W Alonzo Menifield KO · R2 3:18 · 3 AUG 2024
  4. W Dustin Jacoby Decision · R3 5:00 · 15 APR 2023
  5. W Devin Clark TKO · R3 1:18 · 13 AUG 2022

Paulo Costa

  1. W Roman Kopylov Decision · R3 5:00 · 19 JUL 2025
  2. L Sean Strickland Decision · R5 5:00 · 1 JUN 2024
  3. L Robert Whittaker Decision · R3 5:00 · 17 FEB 2024
  4. W Luke Rockhold Decision · R3 5:00 · 20 AUG 2022
  5. L Marvin Vettori Decision · R5 5:00 · 23 OCT 2021

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AI-generated This analysis was generated with AI and may contain errors.

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