Russian heavyweight Kirill Kornilov has reflected on his clash with Sultan Murtazaliev at MMA Series-9 in July 2020. The fight ended in a draw and proved to be a major test for Kornilov, who would later go on to compete in ACA.

Speaking on the MMA-TV.COM show Territory, Kornilov looked back on the early stages of his professional MMA career, highlighting his bout with Murtazaliev as one of his toughest challenges against a wrestling-focused opponent.

"I remember my fight with Sultan Murtazaliev. That was my first draw. He was the first true wrestler I'd faced in a fight. It was the first real test of my wrestling skills and one of my first tough fights to go the distance.

"It was a pretty nerve-racking experience. He wrestled, I defended and landed my shots. In my opinion, it was a really interesting fight. It ended in a draw, but I guess everything happens for the best," Kornilov said.

The rivalry didn't end there. The two heavyweights met again at RCC 10 in December 2021. Their rematch also went the distance, but this time Kornilov came away with a unanimous decision victory.

Kornilov's professional career has strong ties to MMA Series. He competed at the promotion's inaugural event on March 1, 2020, knocking out Edison Lopes. Following his draw with Murtazaliev, the Russian returned to the MMA Series cage in November and scored a TKO victory over Ruslan Medzhidov.

Kornilov finished his run in MMA Series with two stoppage victories and one draw.

Now 34, Kornilov continues to compete in ACA. In September 2026, he defeated former UFC fighter Khadis Ibragimov, improving his professional MMA record to 21-3-1.