Prediction: Azamat Murzakanov via KO
Azamat Murzakanov is the kind of fighter who makes the chaos of a striking exchange look calculated. He’s compact, explosive, and surgical in the way he crashes the pocket. What sets him apart from a typical brawler is his footwork—quick, measured, and always purposeful. He doesn’t just march forward; he flows in and out with rhythm, drawing reactions, creating angles, and punishing mistakes. Against someone like Brendson Ribeiro, who banks heavily on reach and knockout power, that kind of movement is poison.
Brendson is built like a highlight reel waiting to happen—long frame, heavy hands, and the kind of confidence that makes him dangerous early. But watch him closely and the flaws start screaming. He throws wide, overcommits, and his defense is basically his chin hoping to outrun your counters. Every time he lets a right hand fly, that left side of his face is wide open. His hands drop, his head stays on the center line, and he doesn’t move it unless it’s from absorbing a shot. Against a plodding opponent, maybe he gets away with it. Against Azamat? No chance.
Murzakanov is a sniper in those moments. He doesn’t need volume—he needs timing. He slips just off the line, answers back with clean hooks or overhands, and before you even realize you’re out of position, he’s already back at range. That’s where Brendson struggles. He’s not good at forcing resets. He needs you to stand in front of him. And when you don’t, he starts reaching. Azamat feeds on that kind of desperation. He punishes lunges, walks guys into traps, and has no problem pulling the trigger when he sees an opening.
Even if Brendson somehow makes it past the first two rounds, the typical narrative about Azamat’s cardio issues doesn’t really swing the fight in Ribeiro’s favor. That’s because Brendson doesn’t have the discipline or technical depth to weaponize a cardio advantage. You don’t beat a slowing Azamat by just existing in round three—you need to layer offense, control range, stay defensively sound, and force him to work. That’s not Brendson’s game. He’s a power hunter, not a builder. If he hasn’t landed something nuclear by the end of round two, his chances don’t just drop—they fall off a cliff.
The difference here is class. Azamat is simply better everywhere—cleaner in the striking, faster in the transitions, more defensively aware, and far more composed under fire. He’s not just going to win this fight—he’s going to make Brendson look out of his depth. Unless Ribeiro lands a perfect bomb in an early exchange, he’s going to spend this fight getting touched up, frustrated, and ultimately shut down.