The UFC is returning to Madison Square Garden for their annual trip this November. While not officially announced, Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic are expected to headline the event for the heavyweight title. The card is starting to come together and we now know of a big time light heavyweight matchup that’s been added to the card.
First reported by Vadim Tikhomirov on Telegram and since confirmed by Eurosport, top eleven light heavyweights will battle it out as 7th ranked Nikita Krylov (30-9) takes on the undefeated 11th ranked Azamat Murzakanov (14-0). UFC 309 will go down on November 16th.
Starting with Krylov, this will be his first fight in a year and a half. We haven’t seen him since March 2023 when he fought Ryan Spann. In that matchup, Krylov submitted Spann in the first round. It was his third straight win dating back to 2022. Prior to the Spann win, Krylov won a decision over Volkan Oezdemir and stopped Alexander Gustafsson in the first round.
UFC 309
Standing across from Krylov in November is going to be Azamat Murzakanov. Murzakanov has been an absolute force since he made his UFC debut back in 2022. He won a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series back in 2021 and made his debut against Tafon Nchuwki. He won by third round knockout.
He then stopped Devin Clark in the third round before defeating Dustin Jacoby in April 2023. Health issues kept him out of the octagon for a while, but he returned at UFC Abu Dhabi earlier this month. He returned against the incredibly dangerous Alonzo Menifield and they had an absolute war. Murzakanov was able to stop him in the second round.
This is a huge opportunity on a big stage for Murzakanov. If he’s able to defeat Krylov, he’s likely only a win away from serious title contention given the state of the UFC’s light heavyweight division.