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Potential Title Eliminator Fight Added to Jon Jones UFC Event

UFC 309 adds another dynamite fight to its stacked line-up.

Mathew Riddle

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic pay-per-view event, UFC 309, has added a potential light heavyweight title eliminator in Nikita Krylov vs. Azamat Murzakanov.

The news was first reported by Vadim Tikhomirov on August 27, and later confirmed by the UFC on September 23.

Krylov vs. Murzakanov is the Battle of Light Heavyweight Dark Horses

No. 7 ranked light heavyweight Krylov rides a three-fight winning streak, with finishes over Alexander Gustafsson and Ryan Spann. He seemed well on his way to a title shot in mid-2023 but was sidelined by a shoulder injury. 30-9-0 in MMA and 11-7 in the UFC, Krylov maintains a 93% finish rate and has been plaguing hopeful light heavyweights since joining the promotion in 2018.

No. 11 Murzakanov, on the other hand, has been flying under the radar for many fight fans. 'The Professional' is undefeated at 14-0 (4-0 UFC) and most recently made his claim for title contention with a stunning TKO victory over Alonzo Menifield on August 3.

A master of sport in hand-to-hand combat, Murzakanov graduated Dana White's Contender Series in 2021. However, his momentum has stalled on five occasions due to fight cancellations. Now, with a victory over Krylov, he gets his chance to shoot for a top-five opponent, if not a title shot.

Why Could This Be a Title Eliminator if They're Not Even Top 5?

UFC light heavyweight is in a precarious place. Current champion Alex Pereira is the UFC's biggest star right now, rivalling any fighter not named Conor McGregor. He also owns wins over three of the light heavyweight top five, and a case can only be made for No. 2 Magomed Ankalaev, who lacks good favor with the UFC.

Because of this, Ankalaev is booked against No. 5 Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308 in October, and Pereira takes on No. 8 Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307. Following this logic, the winner of Murzakanov vs. Krylov is a viable pick for the next title challenger, especially since their fan-pleasing style curries favor with fans and the UFC brass.

UFC 309 Confirmed Fights

UFC 309, headlined by Jones vs. Miocic, currently (September 23) has nine confirmed fights, per Tapology. (Subject to change):

  • Mickey Gall vs. Ramiz Brahimaj; WW
  • Jonathan Martinez vs. Marcus McGhee; FW
  • Veronica Hardy vs. Eduarda Moura; FLW
  • Nikita Krylov vs. Azamat Murzakanov; LHW
  • Karine Silva vs. Viviane Araujo; FLW
  • Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders; MW
  • Bo Nickal vs. Paul Craig; MW
  • Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler; LW
  • Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic; HW Title Fight

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Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with over five years of experience in digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMAKO in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on The Fight Fanatic, Heavy on UFC, Fansided, and Sportskeeda. Reach him at mr@thefightfanatic.com.

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