On the prelims of UFC Abu Dhabi, we are going to see a banger of a matchup in the light heavyweight division. 15th ranked Alonzo Menifield (15-4-1) will look to climb one spot in the rankings as he takes on the incredibly dangerous unbeaten 14th ranked contender Azamat Murzakanov (13-0).
Starting with Menifield, he’s coming off of a brutal loss just a few months ago. Back in May at UFC St. Louis, Menifield took on Carlos Ulberg. Menifield ran across the octagon and got clipped by the decorated striker and the fight ended in 12 seconds. It was Menifield’s first loss since 2021 and snapped a streak that saw him go 4-0-1. He’ll look to regain that momentum tomorrow.
This is the first fight in well over a year for Azamat Murzakanov. Last April, he defeated Dustin Jacoby and that moved him to 3-0 inside the octagon. However, a number of health issues have kept him away despite having a couple of fights booked. That said, he’s healthy and ready to make a statement at UFC Abu Dhabi.
UFC Abu Dhabi Prediction
This fight is going to be very interesting because it could get crazy early which could lead to a finish, or you might see both men be very tentative due to the respect of the power coming back at them. Murzakanov is just a steady force who throws big power in both his hands and his kicks. He doesn’t get overly aggressive and he’s very meticulous inside the octagon.
Menifield is the better athlete and in my opinion, I think he has more power. However, Menifield’s Fight IQ has come into question at times. In his first Jimmy Crute fight, he just made decisions that I don’t understand and it led to a draw. He also thought it was smart to try and rush a much more decorated striker in his last fight and he got knocked out.
He needs to be smart. If Menifield is smart and uses his athleticism and power, I like him in this spot at UFC Abu Dhabi. I like the fact that he’s been more active and we’ve seen him in deep water before. There are a lot of questions surrounding Murzakanov especially coming off the layoff. Give me Menifield to get the win inside the distance.
Prediction: Alonzo Menifield by TKO