Jacoby vs Murzakanov Prediction: Who Has the Stronger Punch?

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is back for a new event and a fight card that is absolutely stacked. The UFC on ESPN 44 in Kansas City will be one of the best fight nights we have seen in a while. One of the most curious bouts will be the featured fight and here is our Jacoby vs Murzakanov prediction and analysis.

Jacoby vs Murzakanov Prediction: UFC on ESPN 44 Featured Fight

Dustin Jacoby Preview

Dustin Jacoby is ranked 13th in the division. The 35-year-old American was previously a kickboxer and performed at GLORY. And in MMA – in Bellator, World Series of Fighting, and Titan FC. The fighter was defeated in his last match when he fought Khalil Rountree in October 2022 (split decision). And it was his first defeat in the UFC. Jacoby has 18 wins (11 by KO) and six losses.

In August 2020, Jacoby came to Dana White's Contender Series show, where he defeated Ty Flores by unanimous decision and received a contract with the UFC. In total, in the strongest MMA promotion in the world, Jacoby has had 8 fights: 6 wins, 1 defeat, and 1 fight ended in a draw.

Being a basic kickboxer, Dustin stands out with good combinational work, and fast and accurate punches. I also note the good footwork of the fighter and his surprisingly strong jaw.

Jacoby has mediocre wrestling. It is easy to transfer him to the ground and control him there. I note that in certain moments Dustin can stagnate in the stance and lower his hands, which makes it easy to hit him. Nevertheless, he can take a punch and has rarely been at any risk in his UFC career.

Azamat Murzakanov Preview

Azamat Murzakanov is ranked 15th in the division ranking. The 34-year-old Russian was supposed to make his debut in Dana White's promotion a few years ago. But due to the refusal of the opponents, the fights were canceled. As a result, Murzakanov had his first fight in the UFC in March 2022, when he defeated Cameroonian Tafon Nchukvi. In the second fight, he defeated the American Devin Clark (technical knockout).

The fighter has 12 wins (nine by knockout) and no losses in MMA at the professional level. However, he has had only two fights in his UFC career and those were against fighters that are there to fill the roster. Before that, he fought in various low-level promotions. We do not know exactly what to expect from him when he faces a ranked opponent for the first time.

His only chance here will be the knockout but Dustin Jacoby is a far more experienced fighter and specialist in hand-to-hand combat.

Jacoby vs Murzakanov Prediction

Analysts of bookmakers found it difficult to name a clear favorite of the upcoming fight. In their opinion, the fighter from the USA will have a slight advantage. And we agree with them – our main Dustin Jacoby vs Jorge Azamat Murzakanov prediction is for the American to win. Jacoby has a significant advantage over his opponent in size. What's more, he has a killer punch. It will be very difficult for Murzakanov to withstand the pure strength of Jacoby unless he is really tactically prepared. As you know, we are not 100% sure about his full potential yet because he has not been at this level. But Jacoby has the experience and despite his age, he also has the power for a KO. If you want higher odds, you can opt for the KO win. 

Should this fight be this high in the main card?

Now that you have our Jacoby vs Murzakanov prediction, we can move on to the unusual details about this bout. The UFC sometimes surprises us with the structure of the fight cards. This week, we have a massive one despite the fact that there is no title fight and it is not pay-per-view. The roster is simply so stacked right now that the promotion can organize incredible Fight Nights every week and never run out of thrilling fights to make. But looking at the overall picture, should this bout be the featured fight right before the main and co-main events?

Dustin Jacoby has had 8 fights in the UFC since he joined and with 6 wins, he is only 13th in the rankings. By now, he should be in the Top 10 and getting bigger chances. Instead, he gets Azamat Murzakanov, who has never fought high-level opposition and has only 2 fights. And this should be our third-best fight of the night. When before them, we have Pedro Munhoz, we have Ion Cutelaba, and we have a prelim that will decide the next Flyweight contender.

Is this a new case of favoritism from the UFC? Murzakanov is undefeated but he has had two small fights in the UFC. Suddenly, he is almost in the main event, in a featured bout. Do you find it unusual or is it just us?