Azamat Murzakanov 'very, very close' to title shot with UFC 327 win
Azamat Murzakanov thinks a UFC 327 win over Paulo Costa puts him in good position to fight for gold.
MIAMI – Azamat Murzakanov is looking to be the next undefeated champion, and an impressive victory at UFC 327 would do wonders towards that goal. Murzakanov (16-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) will put his perfect record on the line in Saturday's co-main event when he takes on Paulo Costa (15-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in a light heavyweight matchup at Kaseya Center ( Paramount+ ). Although he has somewhat flown under the radar so far, Murzakanov, 36, sees his prime position on an anticipated fight card as his opportunity.
The event is headlined by Jiri Prochazka vs. Carlos Ulberg for the vacant 205-pound belt, meaning there's no better time for Murzakanov to declare his intentions as a contender. "I think I'm very close," Murzakanov told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday's UFC 327 media day.
"I think everything depends on this fight on Saturday. This is a big fight, this is an important fight. From then on, if everything goes according to plan, I think we're very, very close to a title shot.
" Although Costa comes into the matchup unranked, the former middleweight title challenger carries a recognizable name and strong following. If Murzakanov can put him on the highlight reel, it would be valuable to his own career, and with full anticipation that it will happen, he just hopes Costa makes it through fight week. "I feel good about the fact that he actually made it here," Murzakanov said.