The opening contest of the UFC 321 PPV is a Light Heavyweight bout featuring a top-10 matchup between Aleksandar Rakic vs. Azamat Murzakanov. Murzakanov has won his first five fights in the UFC and holds a perfect 15-0 record in his MMA career. Meanwhile, Rakic returns for the first time in a year and looks to get back in the win column for the first time since March 2021.
Here is my best bet for Aleksandar Rakic vs. Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 321.
Aleksandar Rakic Moneyline (-118)
Rakic has lost three straight fights and hasn’t won in 52 months, but he has faced three consecutive former champions (Magomed Ankalaev, Jiri Prochazka, and Jan Blachowicz). His previous loss was against Ankalaev, in which he was only outlanded by two significant strikes in that bout.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Murzakanov is a slight -118 favorite while Rakic is a -102 underdog. Murzakanov has finished four of his five opponents in the UFC and has risen in the Light Heavyweight rankings. But Rakic is a tough matchup on paper for Murzakanov.
Rakic has a massive seven-inch reach advantage (78″ vs. 71″) while being five inches taller (6’4″ vs. 5’10”). Regardless of how great a striker Murzakanov has proved to be, those physical advantages might be too significant to overcome. Also, Murzakanov is taking a big step up in competition, as he hasn’t faced fighters in the top 10 in the UFC’s 205-pound division in the past.
