Undefeated light heavyweight talent Azamat Murzakanov will make his UFC debut on Dec. 4 in Las Vegas, N.V., against former PFL heavyweight champion Philips Lins, multiple people with knowledge of the booking told MMA Fighting. VestnikMMA first reported the news.
Murzakanov (10-0) entered the UFC after winning the Brave CF openweight grand prix in 2019 and finishing Matheus Scheffel under the Dana White’s Contender Series banner earlier this year.
Murzakanov also holds a knockout victory over rising middleweight contender Andre Muniz in the Russian circuit.
Lins (14-5) went 0-2 as a heavyweight in the UFC after a perfect 4-0 career inside the PFL cage in 2018, losing to Andrei Arlovski and Tanner Boser. The American Top Team fighter has also competed inside the Bellator cage in the past, going 3-3 in the company.
Lins, who makes his 205-pound debut in the UFC, competes for the first time since the cancelation of fights against Don’Tale Mayes, Ben Rothwell (three times) and Ovince St. Preux since November 2020.