Undefeated Russian standout Azamat Murzakanov believes a win over Nikita Krylov will get one very big step closer to a potential clash with reigning light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
After finishing his first four opponents inside the Octagon—three of them by way of knockout—Murzakanov will face his toughest test to date when he squares off with the 39-fight veteran at UFC 309 on Saturday, November 16 in Madison Square Garden.
As it stands, Murzakanov is sitting as the No. 11 ranked contender in the loaded light heavyweight division, but if he can earn a win over Ukraine’s Krylov, he will close in on the top five and his first shot at UFC gold.
“This fight will bring me very close to a title shot,” Murzakanov told James Lynch in a MiddleEasy exclusive interview.
https://x.com/ufc/status/1819808167209107587
Alex Pereira is fresh off his third successful title defense of 2024, besting Khalil Rountree in the UFC 307 headliner in Salt Lake City. Murzakanov, who was scheduled to fight ‘The War Horse’ late last year, was a bit surprised by Rountree’s unexpected title opportunity but suggested that there was likely a good reason for the promotion to offer it to him.
“I was a little surprised,” Murzakanov admitted. “A lot of people were surprised to see them give him the title shot, but who knows the circumstances behind the scenes? You never know. Maybe there was no one available or other factors so you can’t really judge or predict so who knows.”
As for Rountree’s performance, Murzakanov wasn’t terribly impressed—particularly with the challenger’s inability to adapt when it became clear that his game plan wasn’t getting the job done.
“To be honest with you, I watched the highlights,” he continued. “I didn’t watch the full fight. He did bring a good fight, but he needed to change something. He needed to change the dynamic of the fight—his strategy when it wasn’t working for him, but that’s what I thought happened.
“My thought was, if Khalil didn’t win in the first three rounds, it would go the other way and it turned out exactly that way.”
Last 2 minutes of Pereira vs Rountree. Didn’t realize I took this until a couple days after. #UFC307 pic.twitter.com/1Qs62txxKc
— Drew (@Long_Live_Sox) October 18, 2024
Azamat Murzakanov Likes His Chances Against Alex Pereira in Potential UFC Title Clash
Murzakanov was supposed to fight Rountree at UFC Austin last December, but a bout of pneumonia forced him to back out. Asked if he’d be interested in rebooking the fight with a win over Krylov, Murzakanov made it clear that he’s only looking up the rankings, not down.
“After this fight, we have to see all the options,” Murzakanov said. “Whichever fight will bring me closer to the title because right now [Nikita] Krylov is higher on the rankings so if we win right now, the [ranking] will be higher than Khalil.”
In all likelihood, Murzakanov will need at least one more win should he get past Krylov in Madison Square Garden. But whether the title shot comes sooner or later, the Russian likes his chances against ‘Poatan.’
“It’s an excellent fight for me because for a long time, I’ve dreamed to be a champion and fight for a belt. That will be extra motivation for me. The other thing is, I don’t discredit anything from Pereira. He’s a good fighter, but at the end of the day, this is not kickboxing. This is MMA.”
Watch the full exclusive interview below:
