Overview
- Paulo Costa won by head-kick TKO at 1:23 of Round 3 in the co-main event at Miami’s Kaseya Center on Saturday.
- The result handed Azamat Murzakanov his first loss after a 16-0 start and flipped pre-fight odds that had him -210 to Costa’s +168 on FanDuel.
- Costa scored early with heavy leg and body kicks, Murzakanov surged in Round 2 with body shots and left hands, and Costa sealed it with high kicks in the third.
- The victory pushes Costa into the 205-pound title mix as the division’s vacant championship was contested the same night between Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg.
- Costa, a former middleweight title challenger, said during fight week he can still make 185 and aims to chase opportunities in either weight class.