Former UFC title challenger Paulo Costa will make the full-time move to light heavyweight for a Top 10 showdown at UFC 327.
Paulo Costa was originally supposed to return to the Octagon against surging middleweight Brunno Ferreira at UFC 326, before Costa withdrew from the bout just days after reports circulated. As of this writing, the reasoning behind Costa’s withdrawal remains a mystery.
Costa, who hasn’t fought since an impressive win over Roman Kopylov at UFC 318, remains one of the most dangerous fighters in the middleweight division when fully focused and invested. He bounced back from back-to-back losses to former champions Sean Strickland and Robert Whittaker.
Throughout the ups and downs of his UFC career, Costa has long entertained the possibility of moving to light heavyweight. This came after several concerning appearances on the scales as Costa weighed in at the middleweight limit successfully for most of his previous fights.
Now, Costa will move up to light heavyweight on the upcoming UFC 327 card in Miami for a potential title eliminator bout.
Paulo Costa set to make light heavyweight move at UFC 327
As first reported by Brazilian MMA journalist Laerte Viana, Costa will face No. 6 UFC light heavyweight contender Azamat Murzakanov (16-0) at UFC 327 on April 11th in Miami.
Murzakanov is unbeaten in his career with recent UFC wins over Aleksandar Rakic, Alonzo Menifield, and Brendson Ribeiro. The 36-year-old has long been considered a potential future champion of the light heavyweight division before a USADA suspension halted his rise up the rankings.
Now, Murzakanov will look to add another big name to his resume as he continues to make the case for a title shot. This is Costa’s second UFC light heavyweight appearance, after he faced off with Marvin Vettori in October 2021.
As for Costa, a win over Murzakanov would move him potentially one step closer to another title shot in the UFC. The full UFC 327 lineup is expected to be announced in the coming weeks, including the main event and co-headlining bookings.