Azamat Murzakanov

Murzakanov stayed dangerous in spots but spent too much of the fight absorbing Costa's body work before a head kick ended his night in the third round. The defeat was significant because it was the first loss of his pro career and halted a clean run into the top end of the division.

Key moments

• Lost to Paulo Costa by head-kick TKO at 1:23 of round three.
• Costa's body kicks were repeatedly highlighted as a major factor before the finish.
• The result snapped Murzakanov's unbeaten professional record.

Murzakanov's biggest statement win before the Costa loss came in Abu Dhabi, where he stopped Rakic inside a round and pushed his record to 16-0. It was the type of ranked scalp that turned him from intriguing unbeaten contender into a legitimate top-ten name.

Key moments

• Stopped Aleksandar Rakic by first-round TKO at 3:11.
• The finish improved Murzakanov to 16-0 at the time.
• It was his highest-profile UFC win before the 2026 loss to Costa.

Murzakanov broke Ribeiro down quickly in Newark, finding the chin with his left hand and forcing the stoppage with follow-up ground strikes late in the opening round. The win kept his UFC run perfect and underscored how dangerous he is once he gets an opponent shelled up.

Key moments

• Beat Brendson Ribeiro by first-round TKO at 3:25.
• A clean left hand put Ribeiro in trouble before the finishing ground-and-pound.
• The victory moved Murzakanov to 15-0 and 5-0 inside the UFC.

After a year away, Murzakanov returned with one of his best UFC performances by systematically beating up Menifield and finishing him in the second round. The knockout showed that the inactivity had not dulled his timing and earned him another performance bonus.

Key moments

• Knocked out Alonzo Menifield with punches at 3:18 of round two.
• The win earned Murzakanov a Performance of the Night bonus.
• It came in his first fight since the April 2023 decision over Dustin Jacoby.

Murzakanov banked enough of the early work to stay unbeaten against Jacoby, then survived a harder third round as Jacoby surged back into the fight. The result mattered because it proved Murzakanov could win without an early finish against an experienced UFC kickboxer.

Key moments

• Defeated Dustin Jacoby by unanimous decision after 15 minutes.
• Reports from the card noted that Murzakanov faded late while Jacoby rallied in round three.
• The win kept Murzakanov undefeated at 13-0.

Murzakanov outclassed Clark over three rounds in San Diego and finally broke him down with body work in the third. A left hook to the body folded Clark, and Murzakanov swarmed with punches to force the stoppage.

Key moments

• Controlled the fight with cleaner striking and enough grappling to keep Clark guessing.
• Came close to a finish before finally closing it in round three.
• A left hook to the body set up the finishing barrage at 1:18 of the third.
• Moved to 12-0 and 2-0 in the UFC.

Murzakanov's UFC debut turned into a comeback finish after Nchukwi's body kicks and jab gave him real trouble through stretches of the first two rounds. Early in the third, Murzakanov hurt him with a left hook and then ended the fight with a clean jumping knee.

Key moments

• Made his UFC debut on the Vegas 50 prelims.
• Nchukwi landed body kicks and had a strong second round.
• A left hook changed the fight before the flying-knee knockout at 0:44 of round three.
• Earned a Performance of the Night bonus.

Murzakanov earned his UFC contract by finishing Scheffel in the Contender Series headliner. He stayed unbeaten, handled the Brazilian champion's early pressure and found the opening for a first-round stoppage.

Key moments

• Headlined Contender Series Week 1 at the UFC Apex.
• Stopped Scheffel with punches exactly 3:00 into the first round.
• The win secured a UFC contract.
• Improved his record to 10-0.

Murzakanov capped a busy night in Bahrain by knocking out Fakhreddine in the Brave CF 29 main event. The finish crowned him in the featured title fight and closed the year with another emphatic stoppage.

Key moments

• Brave CF 29 main-event title fight in Bahrain.
• Knocked out Fakhreddine at 3:37 of round one.
• Second win of the night after also beating Guto Inocente on the same card.
• Stayed unbeaten and added another regional belt.

Earlier on the Brave CF 29 card, Murzakanov handled former UFC and kickboxing veteran Guto Inocente over three rounds. The decision win gave him a meaningful name on the regional scene before the later title-fight knockout of Fakhreddine.

Key moments

• Beat Inocente by unanimous decision over fifteen minutes.
• Faced a natural heavyweight with major kickboxing experience.
• First fight of a two-win night at Brave CF 29.
• Set up the later main-event finish over Fakhreddine.

Murzakanov made quick work of Sakaev at ACB 57, stopping him with punches less than two minutes into the opening round. The finish kept his unbeaten run moving in a stronger regional promotion.

Key moments

• First-round TKO at 1:37.
• Scored the stoppage with punches under ACB rules.
• Extended his unbeaten start to 8-0.
• Another short, violent win on the climb.

Murzakanov blew through future UFC middleweight contender Andre Muniz in the International Caucasian Fight Championship main event. He needed only 50 seconds to land the knockout punch and end the fight.

Key moments

• Main-event win over future UFC fighter Andre Muniz.
• Knockout came 50 seconds into round one.
• One of the best names on Murzakanov's pre-UFC record.
• Moved to 7-0 as a pro.

Murzakanov showed the rare submission line on his record by cranking Bulakh in just 35 seconds. The fast finish remains his lone professional submission win.

Key moments

• Neck-crank finish in 35 seconds.
• Only submission victory on Murzakanov's pro ledger.
• Ended the fight almost immediately after the opening bell.
• Pushed his record to 6-0.

Murzakanov's trip to Global Proving Ground ended with another rapid stoppage when damage forced the doctor to wave off Ellerbee in the first round. The result added a U.S.-based win to his unbeaten run.

Key moments

• Doctor stoppage came at 1:52 of round one.
• Forced the finish through early damage rather than a clean one-shot knockout.
• Won on an American regional card before returning to Russia.
• Improved to 5-0.

Murzakanov went the distance for the first time as a pro and beat Sidorenko by decision at Fight Nights Petersburg. The two-round regional format forced him to win a different kind of fight than the quick finishes that surrounded it.

Key moments

• Won a unanimous decision after two rounds.
• First decision victory of his professional career.
• Came under the Fight Nights Petersburg banner.
• Moved to 4-0.

Murzakanov needed only 20 seconds to flatten Hooben at Ring of Combat 51. It was one of the quickest finishes of his career and an immediate statement in Atlantic City.

Key moments

• Finished Hooben in just 20 seconds.
• One of the fastest stoppages on his record.
• Won under the Ring of Combat banner in New Jersey.
• Improved to 3-0 as a pro.

Murzakanov's professional debut lasted only 10 seconds before he knocked out Khakimov with a punch. It set the tone for the burst-finishing style that shaped most of his early record.

Key moments

• Professional debut win.
• Knockout came in 10 seconds.
• Fastest finish of Murzakanov's career.
• Started his record with an immediate one-punch stoppage.