UFC 321: Aleksandar Rakic vs Azamat Murzakanov Preview & Prediction
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Elite 205 pounders kick off the main card of UFC 321, with Aleksander Rakic squaring off against Azamat Murzakanov at light heavyweight.
Aleksandar Rakic vs Azamat Murzakanov facts
What time are Aleksandar Rakic and Azamat Murzakanov expected to walk out?
Where is UFC 321? Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Where can I get tickets for UFC 321? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 321
What TV channel is UFC 321 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC 321? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC 321 main card
Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane (Heavyweight)
Virna Jandiroba vs Mackenzie Dern (Women’s Strawweight)
Umar Nurmagomedov vs Mario Bautista (Bantamweight)
Alexander Volkov vs Jailton Almeida (Heavyweight)
Aleksandar Rakic vs Azamat Murzakanov (Light Heavyweight)
UFC 321 prelims
Nasrat Haqparast vs Quillan Salkilld (Lightweight
Ikram Aliskerov vs Park Jun-yong (Middlweight)
L'udovit Klein vs Mateusz Rebecki (Lightweight)
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs Matheus Camilo (Lightweight)
Valter Walker vs Louie Sutherland (Heavyweight)
Nathaniel Wood vs Jose Miguel Delgado (Featherweight)
Hamdy Abdelwahab vs Chris Barnett (Heavyweight)
Azat Maksum vs Mitch Raposo (Flyweight)
Jaqueline Amorim vs Mizuki Inoue (Women’s Strawweight)
Aleksandar Rakic: Can "Rocket" prove that he still has what it takes to compete at the top of the division?
Prior to three successive chastening defeats to Jan Blachowicz, Jiri Prochazka, and Magomed Ankalaev in his last three outings, Aleksander Rakic (14-5) was widely touted as a dark horse contender at 205 pounds. One of the largest fighters in the entire division, Rakic is a technical Muay Thai striker with excellent leg kicks and some serious thud behind his shots. However, while he's long been viewed as a perennial top contender at light heavyweight, it's worth noting that his strength of schedule hasn't aged brilliantly; as of 2025, the Austrian's best UFC wins are over the shopworn remains of Thiago Santos and Anthony Smith.
Azamat Murzakanov: The Russian finisher aims to signal a changing of the guard at light heavyweight
Going 5-0 with four nasty finishes since graduating to the UFC from DWCS, Azamat Murzakanov (15-0) has been nothing short of a revelation at light heavyweight since joining the promotion. However, the undefeated Russian KO artist's reputation has taken a considerable hit after a suspension for a positive drug test ruled him out of competition for six months. The Russian was originally scheduled to face Johnny Walker in his comeback appearance, only for the Brazilian to bow out with an injury. Undeterred, Murzakanov would blitzkrieg short notice replacement Brendson Ribeiro to kickstart his comeback tour.
Aleksandar Rakic vs Azamat Murzakanov prediction
In many respects, this is one of the harder fights on the entire card to pick.
Murzakanov has been one of the funnest additions to the heavyweight division in years. He's undersized for the weight class and doesn't look to be particularly athletic, but he's one of the nastiest finishers that the division has to offer. The Russian is undefeated and has destroyed everybody the UFC have placed in front of him.
However, this is a SERIOUS size disadvantage that we're talking about. At 6'5, Rakic is conceivably the biggest light heavyweight in the entire division outside of Alex Pereira. On paper, he figures to enter this match up with a 6' height advantage and a comical 7.5' edge in reach over the stocky Murzakanov.
Moreover, Rakic might be winless in his last three, but those defeats came against Jan Blachowicz, Jiri Prochazka, and Magomed Ankalaev; that's about as elite as it gets at 205 pounds. Murzakanov might have been decimating everyone in his path, but the best name on his resume is currently Alonzo Menifield. That's hardly the sort of competition that indicates he's 100% ready for the top of the division.
Murzakanov could well blast the Austrian with something murderous in the early goings. However, unless Rakic proves to be completely shot in the wake of three devastating defeats, the pick is for the "Rocket" to lean on his experience edge and size advantage to carry him to a decision, potentially even mixing in his wrestling to nullify Murzakanov's power.
Prediction: Aleksander Rakic to win
