Athletes
The Quiet Ascension Of Roman Kopylov
Recap The Knockout Run Of Middleweight Roman Kopylov Ahead Of His UFC 298 Bout With Anthony Hernandez
With so many fighters on the UFC roster, it’s easy to miss the rise of a new contender or be unaware of a fighter on an excellent streak. One of those athletes who has gone under the radar while stacking some big-time wins is middleweight Roman Kopylov.
How To Watch UFC 298: Volkanovski vs Topuria In Your Country
The 32-year-old Russian started out his UFC career with back-to-back defeats, the first two of his professional mixed martial arts career. Those losses must have made something click for Kopylov because he’s ripped off four consecutive knockout wins since – with three of those coming in 2023.
Kopylov has a chance to burst into the rankings this weekend when he faces Anthony Hernandez at UFC 298: Volkanovski vs Topuria. The No. 15 ranked Hernandez was originally scheduled to fight Ikram Aliskerov, but an injury forced him out of the bout and prompted the UFC to give Kopylov a call.
With the door to the middleweight Top 15 right in front of him, look back at the four knockout wins that put Kopylov into his biggest fight yet.
Roman Kopylov vs Alessio Di Chirico
UFC Fight Night: Gane vs Tuivasa – September 3, 2022
The fight fans of France were given a treat when Kopylov put together a beautiful sequence at the top of the third round.
Kopylov found a home for his body kick and started to mix it up on Alessio Di Chirico. He put the pressure on and his hands landed clean a couple of times to push Di Chirico to the fence. Kopylov smelled blood in the water and threw a wild combo that put Di Chirico belly down on the canvas.
It was the first win of Kopylov’s UFC career and it couldn’t have been more impressive.
Roman Kopylov vs Punahele Soriano
UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Imavov – January 14, 2023
Each time Kopylov steps into the Octagon, we get to see a different part of his striking arsenal. In the matchup with power puncher Punahele Soriano, Kopylov focused on his bodywork to slow down Soriano.
In the second round, it paid dividends as a body kick nearly dropped Soriano and Kopylov followed up as the Hawaiian retreated to the fence. Kopylov poured on some strikes for good measure as Soriano dropped into a seated position and the referee called the fight. A super impressive win for Kopylov to get a tough guy like Soriano out of there.
Roman Kopylov vs Claudio Ribeiro
UFC 291 – July 29, 2023
Pairing Kopylov with another dynamic striker makes for one of those fights that can end at any moment, and that’s exactly what happened when Kopylov fought Claudio Ribeiro at UFC 291 in Salt Lake City.
At the start of the second round, Kopylov was feinting a handful of strikes and then threw a rocket of a head kick that flattened Ribeiro. Kopylov’s kick game is off the charts, and he showcased it once again in what I’m calling “Head Kick City.”
Roman Kopylov vs Josh Fremd
Noche UFC – September 16, 2023
Kopylov really put it all together on Mexican Independence Day. He utilized his speed and power advantage over Josh Fremd to wear his opponent down, and in the final minute of the second round, he sensed the finish.
Kopylov hit Fremd with a body kick followed by a high kick that clearly hurt Fremd. Kopylov patiently stalked Fremd before hitting the same target that he kicked on Fremd’s side. Fremd collapsed to the canvas and that was all she wrote. Four straight knockouts for Kopylov and he’s quickly showcased that his striking game is fit to compete with the middleweight elite.
UFC 298: Volkanovski vs Topuria took place live from Honda Center in Anaheim, California on February 17, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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