Nikita Krylov

Whittaker repeatedly found the jab and right hand as Krylov slowed. A final right hand injured Krylov's jaw, and the bout was stopped when he turned away at 1:01 of round three.

Key moments

• Whittaker repeatedly found the jab and right hand.
• Krylov slowed as the fight moved into the third round.
• A final right hand injured Krylov's jaw and forced the stoppage at 1:01.

Krylov closed a competitive fight with a late third-round stoppage, snapping a two-fight skid with a near buzzer-beating finish.

Key moments

• A competitive striking fight through two rounds.
• Round-three pressure built to the finish.
• Stoppage with seconds left in the third.
• Ended a two-fight losing run.

Krylov was caught and finished in the first round, dropped in a pocket exchange and unable to recover.

Key moments

• A first-round pocket exchange.
• A dropping strike found the mark.
• Finished at 4:18 of round one.
• Part of a rough mid-2025 stretch.

Reyes landed a picture-perfect counter to become the first man to knock Krylov out cold, ending it inside the first round.

Key moments

• Reyes timed a clean counter.
• A flatline knockout in round one.
• The first time Krylov was finished by strikes.
• A highlight-reel finish for Reyes.

Krylov won a chaotic, scramble-heavy opening round with a tight triangle choke, capitalising on the grappling exchanges he thrives in.

Key moments

• Early scrambles set the tone.
• Locked up a triangle from his back.
• First-round tap.
• Vintage finishing instincts on display.

One of just two decision wins on his record — Krylov out-grappled and out-pointed Volkan Oezdemir, using takedown control to sweep the cards.

Key moments

• Takedown control through three rounds.
• Positional dominance on the mat.
• A rare decision win for the finisher.
• Swept the scorecards.

Krylov rushed Gustafsson from the opening bell, dropping him with a big overhand right within the first ten seconds and swarming with knees and punches to earn a 67-second knockout in London. The finish came against a faded former title challenger, but was as dramatic as any finish on the card.

Key moments

• Staggered Gustafsson with an overhand right just ten seconds in.
• Followed up with knees and a flurry of punches to seal the stoppage.
• Fight ended at just 1:07 of the first round.
• Earned Performance of the Night bonus for the finish.

Krylov scored an early takedown and landed heavy ground-and-pound, appearing to be in control — before Craig threw up a triangle choke and forced the tap with seconds remaining in the round. The finish in London demonstrated Craig's elite submission threat even from the bottom.

Key moments

• Krylov secured a takedown and landed significant ground-and-pound early.
• Craig attempted an armbar from his back before transitioning.
• Craig locked a triangle choke and forced the submission at 3:57.
• Craig received Performance of the Night for the dramatic turnaround win.

Krylov was competitive in the first round but Ankalaev found his range in round two and controlled the remainder of the fight with grappling, earning a unanimous decision victory that extended his winning streak to six. The loss underscored Ankalaev's rapid rise in the division.

Key moments

• Krylov was active and competitive in round one.
• Ankalaev took over in round two, finding range and dragging the fight to the mat.
• Controlled from top position for the majority of rounds two and three.
• Unanimous decision loss extended Ankalaev's win streak to six.

In a takedown-heavy performance at UFC Brasilia, Krylov neutralised Walker's dangerous striking by consistently taking him down and controlling the fight on the mat. Walker showed aggression early but Krylov's wrestling and durability allowed him to win all three rounds on two of the three judges' cards.

Key moments

• Walker came out aggressive but Krylov defused the danger with takedowns.
• Consistent wrestling and top control determined the outcome.
• Won 30-27 on one card and 29-28 on two others.
• The rare decision win for Krylov highlighted his underrated grappling base.

A close, back-and-forth bout in Vancouver that many felt Krylov could have won, with grappling exchanges and heavy punching traded throughout all three rounds. Teixeira's hand was raised by split decision, a result that reflected just how competitive the fight was.

Key moments

• Back-and-forth grappling and heavy striking throughout.
• One judge scored it for Krylov, making it a genuine split.
• Teixeira's experience helped him edge the close rounds.
• Competitive loss that showed Krylov could hang with the division's top veterans.

A rematch of the 2014 fight where Saint Preux famously submitted Krylov with a Von Flue choke — this time Krylov turned the tables at UFC 236 in Atlanta, landing a crucial second-round takedown, taking OSP's back, and finishing with a rear-naked choke after OSP had gassed himself out chasing takedowns.

Key moments

• Rematch of their 2014 UFC 171 bout, which OSP had won by Von Flue choke.
• Saint Preux tired himself with early takedown attempts, opening the door.
• Krylov took the back in round two and finished with a rear-naked choke at 2:30.
• The seventh UFC win earned him a spot back in the divisional conversation.

Fighting in Moscow in front of a home crowd, Krylov started aggressively with karate-style kicks and landed a first-round takedown. But Blachowicz reversed and passed to side control in the second round, isolating an arm and locking in the arm-triangle choke for the tap in the co-main event.

Key moments

• Co-main event at UFC Fight Night Moscow in front of Krylov's home crowd.
• Krylov active in round one with kicks and secured a takedown.
• Blachowicz reversed and took top position in round two.
• Arm-triangle choke finished Krylov at 2:41 of round two.

Krylov captured the Fight Nights Global light heavyweight title with a second-round knockout of former UFC veteran Fabio Maldonado, who entered with one of MMA's most durable chins. Krylov dominated on the feet and on the ground before a hard right hand put Maldonado face-first on the canvas — the first time Maldonado had been knocked out since a 2014 loss to Stipe Miocic.

Key moments

• FNG light heavyweight title fight against another former UFC fighter.
• Krylov controlled the striking and ground-and-pound in round one.
• A hard right hand in round two dropped Maldonado for the first KO loss since Miocic.
• Won the Fight Nights Global belt in his second fight outside the UFC.

In just 43 seconds, Krylov demolished former Bellator light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton with a body-kick combination that led to a crushing finishing knee. The blowout win in Surgut, Russia re-established Krylov as a must-sign prospect outside the UFC.

Key moments

• Opponent was former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Emanuel Newton.
• A body kick launched a flurry and Krylov ended it with a finishing knee to the head.
• Stoppage at just 0:43 of round one.
• Second straight dominant finish since leaving the UFC.

Fighting at a regional Donetsk tournament in front of a local crowd, Krylov stopped Croatian fighter Maro Perak early in the second round with a punch-based TKO, continuing his winning run in the period between UFC stints.

Key moments

• Regional event in Donetsk, Ukraine — home territory for Krylov.
• Quick second-round stoppage via punches at just 0:36.
• Part of his unbeaten run during his time away from the UFC.

Krylov made his Fight Nights Global debut with a rapid submission win, securing a takedown, moving to north-south and then catching Bekavac in a standing guillotine as he attempted to get back to his feet. The fight ended in under a minute.

Key moments

• FNG debut fight after leaving the UFC.
• Takedown followed by positional transitions set up the choke.
• Caught Bekavac in a standing guillotine as he stood up.
• Submission tap at 0:53 of round one.

Krylov entered UFC 206 in Toronto on a five-fight winning streak but was caught in a guillotine choke by Misha Cirkunov, himself riding a seven-fight winning streak. The submission ended Krylov's run and led to his eventual UFC release early the following year.

Key moments

• Both fighters entered on significant winning streaks — Krylov five, Cirkunov seven.
• Cirkunov applied the guillotine and forced the tap at 4:38 of round one.
• Fight took place in Toronto at UFC 206.
• The loss preceded Krylov's departure from the UFC in early 2017.

Krylov dominated the first round with a varied kicking attack and then delivered a highlight-reel head kick 40 seconds into round two, dropping Herman where he stood. The knockout added to a now five-fight UFC winning streak and established Krylov as one of the most entertaining finishers in the division.

Key moments

• Controlled the first round with body kicks, head kicks, and crisp punching.
• A left head kick landed clean 40 seconds into round two, flooring Herman instantly.
• Herman's body came to rest parallel to the cage after the kick.
• Extended Krylov's winning streak to five, all by stoppage.

Fighting in Rotterdam, Krylov picked up his fourth consecutive finish, surviving early grappling pressure from Barroso before taking over in the second round and submitting him with a rear-naked choke. A more complete performance than his earlier UFC wins, as this was the first time Krylov went past round one.

Key moments

• Barroso known for his grappling but Krylov controlled the exchanges.
• Krylov's previous three UFC wins had all come in round one.
• Finished with a rear-naked choke at 3:11 of the second round.
• Extended his UFC winning streak to four.

After a twice-rescheduled booking due to Lima's visa issues, Krylov delivered a quick first-round submission, surviving two guillotine attempts before taking Lima's back and locking in the rear-naked choke. A third consecutive UFC finish to build momentum.

Key moments

• Booking had been twice postponed due to Lima's visa problems.
• Lima threatened with guillotine choke attempts in the early exchanges.
• Krylov secured the back and finished with a rear-naked choke at 2:29.
• Third straight UFC finish for Krylov, all in the first round.

Fighting in Stockholm on the Fox 14 prelims, Krylov dropped Nedkov with a stiff right hand early and then transitioned from an anaconda choke to a guillotine, forcing the tap in just 84 seconds. MMA Junkie named the finish its Submission of the Month for January 2015.

Key moments

• Prelim fight on UFC on Fox 14 in Stockholm.
• Staggered Nedkov with a right hand, then flowed from anaconda to guillotine.
• Submission victory at 1:24, the first consecutive UFC wins of his career.
• Finish named MMA Junkie's Submission of the Month for January 2015.

Bouncing back from his UFC 171 submission loss to Saint Preux four months earlier, Krylov stopped Donovan with ground-and-pound from back control in Dublin, with the finish coming in the final seconds of the first round. The win was his first at light heavyweight.

Key moments

• Bounce-back fight four months after the Von Flue choke loss to Saint Preux.
• Fight took place in Dublin at UFC Fight Night 46.
• TKO via punches from back control at 4:57 — final seconds of round one.
• First UFC win in the light heavyweight division.

Krylov reached for a guillotine choke with Saint Preux in half guard, but OSP countered by wrapping his arms around Krylov's head and pressing his shoulder against his neck — a rare Von Flue choke — forcing the tap at 1:29. One of the most unusual submission losses in recent UFC history.

Key moments

• Krylov attempted a guillotine from half guard in the main card opener.
• Saint Preux countered with the rare Von Flue choke, earning a Performance of the Night bonus.
• Tap came at 1:29 of the first round.
• Part of OSP's history of unusual submissions; fans later called it the 'Von Preux choke'.

Krylov entered as a significant underdog against Harris but stunned him with a head kick that buckled him in the opening seconds, following up with ground strikes to earn a 25-second TKO at United Center in Chicago. The blowout win prompted Krylov to publicly consider moving down to light heavyweight.

Key moments

• Harris was the considerable betting favourite going in.
• Head kick landed and staggered Harris within the opening seconds.
• Follow-up punches produced a TKO at just 0:25 of round one.
• Post-fight, Krylov said he was considering dropping to light heavyweight.

Krylov's UFC debut in Milwaukee was a taxing, low-output heavyweight slog that many observers called one of the worst fights in recent UFC history. Both fighters visibly gassed after round one, with Palelei ultimately landing enough punches in the third round to earn the TKO stoppage. Krylov later attributed his fatigue to nerves and the long journey from Donetsk.

Key moments

• UFC debut at heavyweight in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at UFC 164.
• Both fighters gassed heavily after round one in what was widely panned.
• Palelei finished with a third-round TKO at 1:34.
• Krylov cited nerves and travel fatigue from Donetsk as factors.

Just weeks before his UFC debut signing, Krylov competed in the M-1 Heavyweight Grand Prix in St. Petersburg, stopping Gabriel Tampu with punches in the first round. The win showcased his finishing ability on the international stage.

Key moments

• M-1 Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament bout in St. Petersburg, Russia.
• First-round TKO via punches at 4:27.
• Final major outing before signing with the UFC.
• Part of an active stretch that built his 15-2 pre-UFC record.

A rematch of their December 2012 bout, again on the Oplot Challenge regional circuit, and again Mishchenko submitted Krylov with an arm-triangle choke — this time even faster, at under a minute. The back-to-back losses to the same opponent were the main blemishes on his otherwise dominant early record.

Key moments

• Rematch of their Oplot Challenge 22 bout from December 2012.
• Mishchenko again applied the arm-triangle choke, finishing at 0:58.
• Even faster than the first loss — under one minute.
• One of only two losses in Krylov's early Ukrainian regional career.

Competing in a one-night Gladiators Fighting Championship tournament in Donetsk, Krylov dispatched Sarkarbaev in 49 seconds with a first-round TKO — the first of two wins on the same card.

Key moments

• Tournament bout at Gladiators FC 2 in Donetsk.
• First-round TKO at 0:49 via punches.
• First of two wins on the same card, fitting his blitz-finishing style.

The second win of the same evening at the Gladiators FC 2 tournament in Donetsk, with Krylov knocking out Julian Bogdanov by punch in the first round.

Key moments

• Second fight on the same night at Gladiators FC 2.
• First-round KO via punch at 1:17.
• Two finishes in one evening — consistent with his rapid early finishing pace.

The first of two losses to Vladimir Mishchenko, both by the same technique. On the Ukrainian regional circuit's Oplot Challenge series, Mishchenko quickly imposed his grappling and submitted Krylov with an arm-triangle in the first round — ending his debut-year winning streak at eleven.

Key moments

• First professional loss, ending an eleven-fight unbeaten start.
• Mishchenko arm-triangle choked Krylov at 1:47 of round one.
• Regional Oplot Challenge bout in Ukraine.
• The same pair met again just ten weeks later with the same outcome.

A week before his first professional loss, Krylov scored a rapid armlock submission on the Ukrainian regional circuit, finishing Denis Simkin with an americana in 35 seconds.

Key moments

• Regional Ukrainian circuit bout at Gladiators FC 1.
• Finished with an americana submission at just 0:35.
• Part of his dominant early Ukrainian run before his first loss.

Krylov added another quick submission to his debut-year streak, finishing Valery Scherbakov with an Achilles lock inside two minutes on the Ukrainian regional scene.

Key moments

• Regional Ukrainian MMA bout at Warrior's Honor 2.
• Achilles lock submission at 1:38 of round one.
• Showed early submission variety — leg locks alongside arm and choke finishes.

A first-round kimura on the Oplot Challenge regional circuit, one of a rapid succession of submission wins Krylov accumulated in October 2012 as he built his unbeaten debut-year record.

Key moments

• Oplot Challenge regional bout in Ukraine.
• Kimura submission at 1:35 of round one.
• Part of a run of multiple fights per month in late 2012.

Another kimura submission on the Ukrainian circuit a week after his Oplot Challenge win, as Krylov maintained his prolific finishing pace across multiple regional promotions in October 2012.

Key moments

• ECSF regional cup competition in Ukraine.
• Kimura submission at 2:47 of round one.
• Second fight in successive weeks in October 2012.

An extraordinary 12-second finish — the shortest on Krylov's record — when the doctor stopped the fight almost immediately after it began at the ECSF MMA Lion Cup in Ukraine.

Key moments

• 12-second stoppage — the shortest fight of his career.
• Doctor's intervention ended it almost at the first bell.
• ECSF regional cup competition in Ukraine.

A 29-second Achilles lock submission at Oplot Challenge 4, part of the dense cluster of fights Krylov was accumulating in the late summer of 2012 across Ukrainian regional promotions.

Key moments

• Oplot Challenge regional bout in Ukraine.
• Achilles lock at 0:29 — fastest of his leg-lock finishes.
• Second fight in two consecutive days during this stretch.

A 29-second rear-naked choke win at the ECSF MMA Ukraine Cup 7, one of multiple fights Krylov contested in a compressed two-day window in mid-September 2012 as he raced through the regional Ukrainian circuit.

Key moments

• ECSF MMA Ukraine Cup regional competition.
• Rear-naked choke at 0:29 of round one.
• Fought on back-to-back days in this stretch of his early career.

An armbar submission at the ECSF MMA Ukraine Cup 6 in late August 2012, part of Krylov's blitz through Ukrainian regional competitions in his debut year.

Key moments

• ECSF regional MMA cup in Ukraine.
• Armbar submission at 1:44 of round one.
• Building an unbeaten streak in his debut summer through regional Ukrainian MMA.

The first of two recorded bouts against Anatoliy Didenko — Krylov submitted him with a rear-naked choke inside two minutes at the ECSF MMA Ukraine Cup 5, part of his summer 2012 run through regional competition.

Key moments

• ECSF MMA Ukraine Cup 5 regional bout.
• Rear-naked choke at 2:08 of round one.
• First of two fights against the same opponent, both won by submission.

A guillotine choke submission at the Big Boys Fights 1 regional event in August 2012, early in Krylov's debut summer on the Ukrainian MMA circuit. The choke finish showed early proficiency in the technique he would later use throughout his career.

Key moments

• Big Boys Fights 1 regional event in Ukraine.
• Guillotine choke submission at 2:20 of round one.
• Early display of the guillotine finishing ability that became a career signature.

A first-round rear-naked choke on the ECSF Cup of West Ukraine, continuing the submission-heavy streak that characterised Krylov's debut summer on the regional Ukrainian MMA circuit.

Key moments

• ECSF Cup of West Ukraine regional competition.
• Rear-naked choke at 1:31 of round one.
• Another quick submission in a debut summer defined by grappling finishes.

Krylov's professional debut, fought under the name he was then known by ('Al Capone') on the Real Fight Promotion regional circuit in Donetsk, Ukraine. He stopped Umrikhin with punches inside the first minute — the start of an eleven-fight unbeaten run to open his career.

Key moments

• Professional MMA debut in Donetsk, Ukraine.
• TKO via punches at just 0:56 of round one.
• Launched an eleven-fight winning streak to open his career.
• The beginning of a 2012 that saw him fight nearly every fortnight on the Ukrainian circuit.