It got a bit dicey, but at least Murzakanov’s UFC debut wound up
being worth the considerable wait. “The Professional” was initially
signed by the UFC all the way back in 2017 but a drug suspension
intervened and resulted in his release, leaving the Russian to earn
his way back to the promotion in 2021 with a knockout win on Dana
White’s Contender Series. Even then, multiple cancelled bookings
dragged out the wait for Murzakanov’s debut until he faced Tafon
Nchukwi in March. A stocky fireplug, Murzakanov’s approach is
built around patiently waiting for a moment to spring into action
and score a knockout. He was unable to find an early finish against
Nchukwi, and from there, he seemed set to coast to a loss. Nchukwi
took over the fight, while Murzakanov appeared to tire greatly.
However, it all worked out—at least from the Murzakanov side. Upon
the start of the third round, Murzakanov somehow found the energy
to uncork a flying knee that ended the fight in sudden and violent
fashion. This time around, he will look to put on a cleaner
performance against Clark. The 32-year-old Clark has had a slow
rise through the light heavyweight ranks, as it has been a rocky
road for the “Brown Bear” to make his way to gatekeeper status. A
bruising wrestler with some decent striking, Clark had plenty of
physical upside upon his 2016 UFC debut, but he quickly showed a
knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Clark would be
on course to put together what seemed like complete wins, only to
suddenly eat a knockout or dive into a submission. To his credit,
Clark eventually solved some of those issues through sheer
experience and attrition, though nearly every fight of his now
seems to start with him taking a vicious beating and winding up on
the verge of defeat. His loss to Anthony
Smith was still quick and frustrating, but Clark has at least
been able to survive and score wins against the likes of Alonzo
Menifield and William
Knight, which would have also resulted in quick losses in the
past. The start of this fight is crucial, as Murzakanov figures to
blast Clark off the bat and has a decent chance of scoring the
finish in short order. If it goes past that point, this could turn
into an absolute mess as both men tire and Clark, in particular,
pursues a grind. Still, the safest bet seems to be that Murzakanov
gathers enough steam to find a knockout shot at some point during
the fight. The pick is Murzakanov via first-round knockout.
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