UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2
Robert Whittaker defeats Nikita Krylov by KO/TKO
Round 3 · 1:01
Krylov vs Whittaker — Light Heavyweight · UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2
At a glance
Analysts, AI and market side by side. Open a tab for the detail.
What happened
The result, the defining moments, and what the verdict means.
Whittaker repeatedly landed the jab and right hand as Krylov's pace faded.
A right hand early in round three injured Krylov's jaw.
Krylov turned away from the action and the fight was waved off at 1:01.
- Secondary fallback play-by-play reportSherdog · UFC 329 play-by-play
Pre-fight analysis — how we saw it going in
Case for Krylov
Krylov is the bigger, rangier natural light-heavyweight and one of the division's most prolific finishers — 29 of 31 wins by stoppage, split between knockouts and submissions. He owns the size, reach and finishing threat in every phase. Against a Whittaker debuting at 205 off back-to-back losses, his power and grappling could find a Whittaker who no longer absorbs shots the way he once did.
Case for Whittaker
Whittaker is the far more decorated fighter — a former middleweight champion with elite footwork, counters and the best takedown defence (82%) either man will face. Even moving up to 205, his speed and technical edge over a defensively open Krylov are real. If his timing carries to the new weight, he out-boxes Krylov comfortably.
What We Were Watching For
- Does Whittaker's speed and timing carry up to light heavyweight, or does the size gap blunt his offence?
- Krylov is finish-or-be-finished — two 2025 knockout losses raised chin questions before he rebounded with a stoppage of Bukauskas; whose chin holds?
- Whittaker's 82% takedown defence against Krylov's submission-heavy grappling.
- Form and confidence: Whittaker enters off two middleweight losses and a jump in weight, Krylov off a rebound KO — who is in the better place?
Records & career stats
- Source pending
- Nationality
- Australia
- 34
- Age
- 35
- Source pending
- Height
- 1.83 m
- Source pending
- Reach
- 187 cm
- Source pending
- StanceStanceWhich side a fighter leads from — a striking term, not a religious one. Orthodox: right-handed, left foot and hand forward (the common default). Southpaw: the mirror image, right side forward (usually a left-hander). Switch: changes between the two during a fight.
- Orthodox
- Source pending
- Sig. strikes landed / minStr / minSignificant strikes landed per minuteAverage number of significant strikes a fighter lands for every minute of fight time — a read on striking output and pace. From UFC/FightMetric career stats.
- 4.41
- Source pending
- Sig. strikes absorbed / minAbs / minSignificant strikes absorbed per minuteAverage number of significant strikes a fighter takes for every minute of fight time. Lower is better — it means they get hit less often. From UFC/FightMetric career stats.
- 3.40
- Source pending
- Striking defenseStrike def.Striking defenseThe percentage of opponents’ significant strikes that do not land — strikes slipped, blocked or evaded. Higher is better. Not the same as striking accuracy, which counts your own strikes that land. From UFC/FightMetric.
- 59%
- Source pending
- Takedown defenseTD def.Takedown defenseThe percentage of opponents’ takedown attempts that are stuffed. Higher means harder to put on the mat. From UFC/FightMetric.
- 80%
- Source pending
- Avg. fight timeAvg. timeAverage fight timeThe mean length of the fighter’s bouts (minutes:seconds) — a rough read on whether they tend to finish early or go the distance. From UFC/FightMetric.
- 13:31
Career stats per UFC.com; recent form is each fighter's last five bouts. Numbers reflect the fighter data snapshot used for this page. Bars compare each stat on a fixed scale; the “Edge” marker flags the leading corner where the gap is meaningful. The snapshot plots five career rates — output, striking defense, durability (strikes absorbed, inverted), takedown defense and finish rate — each normalised on its own scale.
Who Called It?
How the analysts' picks held up once the cage door closed.
- Winner Accuracy 49.2% 30 31
- Method Accuracy 53.3% 16 14
- Round Accuracy 27.3% 6 16
- Underdog Accuracy 21.4% 3 11
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls
- Winner Accuracy 76.1% 67 21
- Method Accuracy 51.9% 14 13
- Round Accuracy 50.0% 2 2
- Underdog Accuracy 50.0% 4 4
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls
- Winner Accuracy 70.6% 120 50
- Method Accuracy 63.6% 56 32
- Round Accuracy 40.0% 10 15
- Underdog Accuracy 48.5% 16 17
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls
- Winner Accuracy 70.6% 115 48
- Method Accuracy 61.8% 47 29
- Round Accuracy 36.5% 19 33
- Underdog Accuracy 52.9% 9 8
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls
- Winner Accuracy 69.6% 165 72
- Method Accuracy 58.4% 59 42
- Round Accuracy 75.0% 6 2
- Underdog Accuracy 46.2% 12 14
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls
- Winner Accuracy 65.9% 195 101
- Method Accuracy 52.9% 55 49
- Round Accuracy 34.3% 12 23
- Underdog Accuracy 45.5% 15 18
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls
- Winner Accuracy 65.5% 93 49
- Method Accuracy 58.5% 48 34
- Round Accuracy 35.9% 14 25
- Underdog Accuracy 35.0% 7 13
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls
- Winner Accuracy 64.1% 93 52
- Method Accuracy 40.0% 2 3
- Round AccuracyNamed rounds — none on a correct call yet
- Underdog Accuracy 34.5% 10 19
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls
- Winner Accuracy 64.1% 25 14
- Method Accuracy 0.0% 1
- Round AccuracyCalls the winner, not the round
- Underdog Accuracy 45.5% 5 6
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls
- Winner Accuracy 63.3% 76 44
- Method Accuracy 64.6% 42 23
- Round Accuracy 47.2% 17 19
- Underdog Accuracy 26.3% 5 14
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls
- Winner Accuracy 61.5% 16 10
- Method Accuracy 40.0% 4 6
- Round Accuracy 50.0% 1 1
- Underdog Accuracy 25.0% 1 3
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls
- Winner Accuracy 58.6% 17 12
- Method Accuracy 58.3% 7 5
- Round Accuracy 0.0% 1
- Underdog Accuracy 37.5% 3 5
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls
- Winner Accuracy 57.9% 11 8
- Method Accuracy 77.8% 7 2
- Round Accuracy 71.4% 5 2
- Underdog Accuracy 0.0% 3
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls
- Winner Accuracy 57.6% 19 14
- Method Accuracy 40.0% 2 3
- Round AccuracyNamed rounds — none on a correct call yet
- Underdog Accuracy 20.0% 1 4
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls
- Winner Accuracy 54.5% 6 5
- Method AccuracyCalls the winner, not the method
- Round AccuracyCalls the winner, not the round
- Underdog Accuracy 50.0% 1 1
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls
Analyst picks: MMA Lock of the Night Hit; Bedtime MMA Hit; TheWeasle Hit; AJ Devito Hit; The MMA Guru Hit; DFS By The Numbers Hit; We Want Picks Hit; 138 MMA Hit; HopperMMA Hit; BetSam Hit; Pure Picks Hit; Aniki MMA Hit; Michael Bisping Hit; Demetrious Johnson Hit; Chris Schweppe Miss.
| Expand row | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MMA Lock of the Night
MMA Lock of the NightView full track record
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls | Historic market Favourite call, market price 53.5%. Whittaker · KO/TKO | Whittaker · KO/TKO R3 | Hit | Hit | Not called | |
| Picks Robert Whittaker by knockout. “the official prediction will be Robert Whittaker by knockout.” Track record: winner called in 67 of 88 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
Bedtime MMA
Bedtime MMAView full track record
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls | Historic market Favourite call, market price 53.5%. Whittaker · to win | Whittaker · KO/TKO R3 | Hit | Not called | Not called | |
| Treats Whittaker's prelim placement as the strange part of the booking, not the matchup itself. His early read is that Whittaker is the cleaner fighter and should comfortably outclass Krylov, while leaving a fuller breakdown for closer to fight week. “Robert Whittaker being on the prelims. I think he's going to piece up Nikita Krylov.” Track record: winner called in 120 of 170 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
TheWeasle
TheWeasleView full track record
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls | Historic market Favourite call, market price 53.5%. Whittaker · KO/TKO · R3 | Whittaker · KO/TKO R3 | Hit | Hit | Hit | |
| Likes Whittaker's speed and timing at light heavyweight against Krylov's aggressive blitzes. He expects Krylov to overextend late, get countered, and be finished by ground-and-pound in round three. “I'm going to go with Robert Whittaker by a third round TKO, winning his light heavyweight debut.” Track record: winner called in 115 of 163 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
AJ Devito
AJ DevitoView full track record
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls | Historic market Favourite call, market price 53.5%. Whittaker · KO/TKO | Whittaker · KO/TKO R3 | Hit | Hit | Not called | |
| Likes Whittaker's speed and cleaner striking at light heavyweight. He sees Krylov as hittable and vulnerable after recent knockout losses, giving Whittaker a statement finish opportunity. “I think Robert Whitaker is gonna end up knocking him out, too.” Track record: winner called in 165 of 237 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
The MMA Guru
The MMA GuruView full track record
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls | Historic market Favourite call, market price 53.5%. Whittaker · KO/TKO | Whittaker · KO/TKO R3 | Hit | Hit | Not called | |
| Gives Krylov the power-and-swarm path, but thinks Whittaker is far too technical and composed if the fight stays in striking layers. He expects Whittaker's shot selection to punish Krylov's entries and produce a first- or second-round knockout. “KO first or second round over Krylov. Nasty finish.” Track record: winner called in 195 of 296 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
DFS By The Numbers
DFS By The NumbersView full track record
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls | Historic market Favourite call, market price 53.5%. Whittaker · KO/TKO · R2 | Whittaker · KO/TKO R3 | Hit | Hit | Miss | |
| Still trusts Whittaker as the sharper striker at 205. He thinks Krylov has moved away from the wrestling that made him dangerous and now gives Whittaker enough clean striking looks to finish him in round two. “I'm going to take Whittaker to win this fight by knockout. I think Whittaker can potentially put it on him and he'll land something big and get him out of there in the second round.” Track record: winner called in 93 of 142 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
We Want Picks
We Want PicksView full track record
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls | Historic market Favourite call, market price 53.5%. Whittaker · to win | Whittaker · KO/TKO R3 | Hit | Not called | Not called | |
| Both pick Robert Whittaker despite some concern about the move to light heavyweight and Krylov's size. They still see Whittaker as the better fighter technically, faster and cleaner on the feet, with enough skill to manage the matchup. “Whitaker is the pick” Track record: winner called in 93 of 145 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
138 MMA
138 MMAView full track record
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls | Historic market Favourite call, market price 53.5%. Whittaker · to win | Whittaker · KO/TKO R3 | Hit | Not called | Not called | |
| Transcript-verified winner pick from 138 MMA UFC 329 full-card prediction. “I'm going to take Whitaker because I think he's the more skilled fighter, but I don't have any confidence in that.” Track record: winner called in 25 of 39 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
HopperMMA
HopperMMAView full track record
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls | Historic market Favourite call, market price 53.5%. Whittaker · Dec | Whittaker · KO/TKO R3 | Hit | Miss | Not called | |
| Picks Robert Whittaker to win on skill despite moving up to light heavyweight. He sees Nikita Krylov as a fair first opponent at the weight and expects Whittaker's striking class and takedown defense to carry a three-round decision. “And I am going to go with Whitaker to win this one by decision” Track record: winner called in 76 of 120 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
BetSam
BetSamView full track record
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls | Historic market Favourite call, market price 53.5%. Whittaker · to win | Whittaker · KO/TKO R3 | Hit | Not called | Not called | |
| Transcript-verified winner pick from BetSam UFC 329 full-card prediction. “Robert Whittaker by KO.” Track record: winner called in 16 of 26 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
Pure Picks
Pure PicksView full track record
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls | Historic market Favourite call, market price 53.5%. Whittaker · Dec | Whittaker · KO/TKO R3 | Hit | Miss | Not called | |
| Final pick is Whittaker by decision after earlier consideration of a knockout. “So give me Robert Whitaker decision, maybe even a split decision.” Track record: winner called in 17 of 29 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
Aniki MMA
Aniki MMAView full track record
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls | Historic market Favourite call, market price 53.5%. Whittaker · to win | Whittaker · KO/TKO R3 | Hit | Not called | Not called | |
| Aniki MMA picks the stated winner. “Robert Whittaker to win here by a very clear 3027 unanimous decision.” Track record: winner called in 11 of 19 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
Michael Bisping
Michael BispingView full track record
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls | Historic market Favourite call, market price 53.5%. Whittaker · Dec | Whittaker · KO/TKO R3 | Hit | Miss | Not called | |
| Takes Whittaker to win his light-heavyweight move, citing his speed, footwork, well-rounded game and power at 205. He warns Krylov is experienced, dangerous and versatile, so he expects a tough fight rather than a walkover. “Robert Whittaker gets the job done.” Track record: winner called in 19 of 33 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
Demetrious Johnson
Demetrious JohnsonView full track record
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls | Historic market Favourite call, market price 53.5%. Whittaker · to win | Whittaker · KO/TKO R3 | Hit | Not called | Not called | |
| Backs Whittaker's light-heavyweight move, expecting the extra weight to preserve his speed and cardio rather than drain him. He notes Krylov's finish-or-be-finished volatility, but still sees Whittaker's cleaner overall game as the better side. “I'm going to have to go with Robert Whitaker.” Track record: winner called in 6 of 11 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
Chris Schweppe
Chris SchweppeView full track record
How each is counted: Winner called Method called Round called Correct underdog calls | Historic market Underdog call, market price 46.5%. Krylov · Dec | Whittaker · KO/TKO R3 | Miss | Not applicable — the winner call missed | Not applicable — the winner call missed | |
| Chris Schweppe's MMA Fight Picks UFC 329 preview picks Nikita Krylov by decision. Track record: winner called in 30 of 61 resolved picks. How winner calls are counted | ||||||
14 of 15 nailed it.
The experts above are a lens, not credentials we conferred — analyst, fighter or betting desk.
No AI predictions are available for this fight yet.
No market odds are available for this fight yet.
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