TLDR
- Paulo Costa defeated previously undefeated Azamat Murzakanov by third-round TKO at UFC 327 in Miami
- Costa landed a head kick at 1:23 of Round 3 to finish the fight and hand Murzakanov his first career loss
- The former middleweight title challenger entered as an underdog in his official light heavyweight debut
- Costa believes he is closer to a title shot at 205 pounds than he ever was at middleweight
- The win extends Costa’s winning streak to two fights and improves his UFC record to 8-4
Sources: mmajunkie.usatoday.com | empiresportsmedia.com | mmajunkie.usatoday.com
Paulo Costa delivered one of the best wins of his UFC career Saturday night when he knocked out previously undefeated Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327 in Miami. The former middleweight title challenger finished Murzakanov with a head kick in the third round, ending the fight at 1:23.
Costa entered the fight as an underdog, with many viewing the matchup as a setup for the Russian contender. But the Brazilian proved the doubters wrong with a performance that has him eyeing a title shot at 205 pounds.
Costa Dominates From the Opening Round
The fight started with Costa controlling the distance and landing heavy body kicks on Murzakanov. He knocked down the Russian near the end of the first round and opened a cut with elbows from top position.
Costa continued his success in the second round, working behind his jab and battering Murzakanov’s body with kicks. However, Murzakanov came back late in the round, landing several big shots that rocked Costa and slowed him down.
WHAT A PERFORMANCE‼️@BorrachinhaMMA secures the RD3 TKO victory in stunning fashion!
[ #UFC327 | LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/XlFiMtrvyU
— UFC (@ufc) April 12, 2026
The third round proved decisive for Costa. He targeted Murzakanov’s arms with powerful kicks before landing the fight-ending head kick that sent his opponent stumbling to the canvas.
Referee Keith Peterson stopped the fight immediately. Costa improved his record to 16-4 overall and 8-4 in the UFC.
“Put some respect on my name,” Costa said in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.
Title Shot Closer at Light Heavyweight
After the fight, Costa told reporters he believes he is closer to a UFC title shot at light heavyweight than he ever was at middleweight. This was only his second fight at 205 pounds in the UFC, but defeating a top contender like Murzakanov made a strong statement.
“I think I’m new blood in the division, and I think this is good,” Costa said at the post-fight press conference. “I got very good feedback at the press conference. I think people are excited to see.”
Costa spent his entire career fighting at middleweight before making the move up. He challenged for the middleweight title in the past but went through a tough 1-4 stretch before rebounding with a win over Roman Kopylov last year.
Murzakanov entered UFC 327 with a perfect 16-0 record and was 6-0 inside the octagon. He was coming off a knockout victory over Aleksandar Rakic and was considered one of the division’s top contenders.
The loss dropped Murzakanov to 16-1 overall and 6-1 in the UFC. It marked the first defeat of his professional career.
Costa said his training remained the same despite the weight change. He credited small details for making the difference in getting the finish.
“I feel great, but I don’t put a lot of attention (on the finish) because my training didn’t change,” Costa said. “The fight before this against Kopylov, man, I was knocking him out. I connected with a straight right on the chin, and he fell down.”
Costa is now on a two-fight winning streak with victories at both middleweight and light heavyweight. He said he has no preference on which division to pursue a title in and will fight for whichever belt the UFC makes available to him first.
“That’s going to depend on how things end up setting up,” Costa said. “If they think I’m closer to 205 to fight for the title next, OK, so I stay.”
