Light heavyweight Dustin Jacoby looked to bounce back from the first loss of his second UFC run at UFC Kansas City, as he took on Azamat Murzakanov.
Jacoby was ranked #13 in the weight class, while the undefeated Murzakanov entered the bout as the #15 ranked light heavyweight in the world.
Both men began to piece together combinations following a short-lived feeling-out process, but it was Murzakanov who got the better of the exchanges, creating angles and closing the distance fast to send Jacoby crashing to the canvas.
Jacoby would bounce back, leading the action for most of the second frame until Murzakanov landed a crushing overhand left in the waning seconds of the round. The Russian swarmed Jacoby with a blitz of heavy strikes, though Jacoby managed to weather the storm and survive to see a third round.
After receiving some lively corner advice from Factory X Head Coach Marc Montoya, Jacoby stood up from the school with new life. Murzakanov’s gas tank was on empty, and Jacoby took full advantage. “The Hanyak” dominated both in the striking and the grappling, though he was unable to secure a finish before the final bell.
The bout would go to the judges’ scorecards and Azamat Murzakanov would remain undefeated after going on to win the fight via unanimous decision.
The victory marks three straight wins to start out Murzakanov’s UFC career, and “The Professional” expects to receive a top-10 ranked opponent in his next time out.
Dustin Jacoby drops his second consecutive bout and will look to correct some of his shortcomings in the coming weeks.
Official Result: Azamat Murzakanov def. Dustin Jacoby by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
