Whittaker vs Krylov — Light Heavyweight · UFC 329

Scheduled · 11 Jul 2026
The Reaper
27-9-0
VS
The Miner
31-11-0
Light Heavyweight
3 rounds
Preliminary Card
UFC 329 • 11 Jul 2026
Las Vegas, Nevada

Tale of the Tape

Whittaker Krylov
  1. OutputSig. strikes landed / min 4.39 4.36
  2. Striking def.Striking defense 60% 48%
  3. DurabilitySig. strikes absorbed / min 3.36 2.59
  4. Takedown def.Takedown defense 82% 53%
  5. FinishingFinish rate 59% 94%
27-9-0
Record
31-11-0
2-3 last 5
Recent formRecent formWin–loss record over the fighter’s last five bouts, newest first, as carried in their UFC/FightMetric career stats.
3-2 last 5
35
Age
34
1.83 m
Height — Krylov leads
1.91 m
187 cm
Reach — Krylov leads
197 cm
Orthodox
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
59%
Finish rate — Krylov leadsFinish rateThe share of a fighter’s wins that ended inside the distance — by KO/TKO or submission — rather than going to the judges’ scorecards. Higher means more finishes.
94%
11
Wins by KO/TKO — Krylov leads
13
5
Wins by submission — Krylov leads
16
4.39
Sig. strikes landed / 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.
4.36
3.36
Sig. strikes absorbed / min — Krylov leadsSignificant 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.
2.59
60%
Striking defense — Whittaker leadsStriking 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.
48%
82%
Takedown defense — Whittaker leadsTakedown defenseThe percentage of opponents’ takedown attempts that are stuffed. Higher means harder to put on the mat. From UFC/FightMetric.
53%
13:37
Avg. fight 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.
6:58
Light Heavyweight
Weight class
Light Heavyweight
Australia
Nationality
Russia
PMA Super Martial Arts · Sydney
Team
Fight Club No.1 · Moscow

Career stats per UFC.com; recent form is each fighter's last five bouts. Numbers reflect records coming into fight night. 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.

How the Fight Plays Out

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.

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.

What to Watch

  • 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?

Pre-Fight Predictions

Independent picks — analysts, fighters and betting desks — for this fight, each traced to a timestamped source and checked before it goes live, are being verified and will appear here ahead of fight night.

Verified picks coming soon.

Fighters