The main card for UFC 321 kicks off with a light heavyweight bout between Aleksandar Rakic, who will look to bounce back from three straight defeats, and Azamat Murzakanov, who enters with a perfect 15-0-0 record.
The UFC odds have this one at a dead pick’em with both fighters at an even -110, but I’ll break down why I’m picking Rakic to get back into the win column in my Rakic vs. Murzakanov predictions for Saturday, October 25.
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Rakic vs Murzakanov prediction and best bet
- My fight prediction: Rakic moneyline (-125 at BET99)
- My best bet: Over 2.5 rounds (-125 at BET99)
Fight analysis
Despite the pick’em odds, these two fighters enter UFC 321 on completely different trajectories.
Aleksandar Rakic comes into Saturday on a three-fight losing streak, suffering a decision loss to Magomed Ankalaev exactly one year ago before taking two straight KO defeats to Jiri Prochazka and Jan Blachowicz.
Azamat Murzakanov carries a perfect 15-0-0 professional record and is 5-0-0 in the UFC with four knockout wins over that span. The Russian is only four months removed from a first-round KO over Brendson Ribeiro.
They’re both quite different stylistically, too. At 6-foot-4, Rakic prefers a technical style from range, using his jab and kicks. He’s more of a point fighter, with his last knockout victory coming way back in 2019.
The 5-foot-10 Murzakanov is very undersized for the division, but his knockout power can’t be denied. He has fast hands and is not afraid to load up and throw.
While Murzakanov is definitely the more dangerous man, he’s still unproven at the UFC level. Rakic will be by far the highest-ranked fighter that Murzakanov has faced.
On the other hand, Rakic’s last three fights have been against former champions. He’s taken rounds off those fighters and has proven that he can hang with the best.
That said, I’m banking on Rakic to use his size, six-inch reach advantage, and experience to outlast Murzakanov’s early power and grind out the win.
Best bet analysis
I think this fight goes long regardless of who comes out on top.
Rakic has been “knocked out” twice in his last three bouts, but one of those was a freak knee injury against Blachowicz, so he really only has one KO loss on his record – and Prochazka knocks out everyone.
The Serbian possesses a solid chin and, with his six-inch height and reach advantage, should be able to mostly avoid Murzakanov’s power.
On the other hand, Rakic also hasn’t had a finish of his own in nearly six years. The 15-0-0 Murzakanov has never been finished and displayed some good durability in his decision win over Dustin Jacoby.
This should be a back-and-forth fight that goes Over 2.5 rounds.
Aleksandar Rakic vs Azamat Murzakanov odds
 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Method of Victory | Rakic | Murzakanov |
| To win outright | -125 | +100 |
| To win by KO/TKO | +405 | +205 |
| To win by decision | +190 | +425 |
| To win by submission | +950 | +2700 |
| Draw | +5000 | +5000 |
Odds as of 10-24.
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Aleksandar Rakic vs Azamat Murzakanov tale of the tape
| Rakic | Murzakanov | |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | Age | 36 |
| 6-foot-4 | Height | 5-foot-10 |
| Light Heavyweight | Weight Class | Light Heavyweight |
| 78 inches | Reach | 71 inches |
| 14-5 | Record | 15-0 |
| 9 | Wins by KO | 11 |
| 1 | Wins by submission | 1 |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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