Athletes
Roman Kopylov Eyeing A Place In The Rankings
Russian Middleweight Reflects On 2024 Ahead Of Exciting Clash With Chris Curtis
Roman Kopylov is a perfect example of the increasing depth of talent building in the middleweight division at the moment.
Entering 2024 on a four-fight winning streak where each victory came inside the distance, the Russian was tabbed as someone with the potential to push forward into the Top 15, and was given the opportunity to do so early in the year. After initially being paired off with Ikram Aliskerov, the now 33-year-old ultimately landed opposite the similarly surging Anthony Hernandez on the UFC 298 prelims in Anaheim, with most viewing the matchup as a “winner earns a ranking” proposition.
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Unfortunately, things did not go his way in the shadows of Disneyland, as Hernandez scored a second-round submission win, propelling himself forward while forcing Kopylov to regroup.
“2023 was super successful for me, (while) 2024 was okay,” offered Kopylov, who rebounded from his loss to “Fluffy” with a split decision win over Cesar Almeida just a few months later at UFC 302 and is set to face Chris Curtis is a critical main card pairing this weekend in Las Vegas. “We are looking forward (to) 2025, as it starts with a big fight for me.”
The bout with Almeida in Newark was a bit of an anomaly for the skilled striker, marking the first time since his professional debut that he earned a victory by decision, while standing as just the third time in his career that he had gone to the scorecards. It was a grueling battle where two of the three officials had it even heading into the final round, where Kopylov was able to out-work his Brazilian adversary in the eyes of two of the judges, earning him the victory and a hasty return to the win column.
It would prove to be his final appearance of the year, as a bout of appendicitis sent him under the knife in the back half of the year, scuttling an August matchup with Brunno Ferreira. Even with only making a pair of starts in 2024, the year provided the still-hungry middleweight with plenty of lessons to build upon as he readies to kick off his 2025 campaign on Saturday evening at the UFC APEX.
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“The second part of 2024 I missed due to appendicitis surgery,” began Kopylov, whose four-fight run of success included dominant efforts against Punahele Soriano and Josh Fremd. “But I’m happy to be recovered and get such a great fight in the very beginning of the year.
“The main lesson was very simple: you need to work hard every day and don't waste your time,” he added, reflecting on his takeaways from the previous year. “In MMA, you have to work on everything — conditioning, striking, wrestling; I have many areas to improve.”
This weekend’s pairing with Curtis feels comparable to last year’s matchup with Hernandez, as it’s once again a fight against a fellow middleweight looking to earn their way into the rankings. The one difference, however, is that while Hernandez was similarly looking to get there for the first time and is still exclusively working forward in the division, Curtis is an experienced hand that has previously occupied Top 10 real estate and shared the Octagon with a host of the top names in the 185-pound ranks.
“Chris Curtis is a short, hard-hitting guy,” Kopylov said, beginning his assessment of his opponent. “(He’s) also well rounded, experienced; I respect his skills.”
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The 37-year-old Xtreme Couture representative also went 1-1 in 2024 before missing the second half of the year after being sidelined with an injury, but his results came in the opposite order as Kopylov.
At UFC 297 in Toronto, Curtis kicked off the year with a split decision win over Marc-Andre Barriault, halting a two-fight run without a victory. Less than four months later, he was back in the Octagon, standing opposite Brendan Allen for a second time, with the duo serving as the main event of the April 6 Fight Night card at the APEX.
After getting the better of Allen as a short-notice replacement in their first encounter, Curtis landed on the wrong side of a split decision result, while a hamstring injury suffered in the waning moments of the contest added a little extra salt to the wound.
“This win can be my ticket to the Top 15, as Chris is used to fighting many high ranked opponents,” continued Kopylov. “If I pass him, I am a legit Top 15 fighter. I am excited about it; (this) is a great matchup, as he is a very aggressive striker.
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“We will give the fans what they want.”
Although he was required to go the distance last time out, that is never the outcome Kopylov is seeking, though even in failing to secure a finish, the rankings hopeful was able to extract an important lesson and remain dialed in on his mission of delivering exciting fights and memorable finishes each time he steps into the UFC cage.
“My last fight is a good experience of a hard, long fight,” he said. “I am looking for finish every time, but when you are competing with the best in the world it is hard to finish every fight.
“I will continue to work for finishes and make happy my fans and the UFC team, but I will be ready for full distance, as well.”
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And that’s precisely the way he sees this weekend’s matchup with Curtis playing out.
“I am expecting a hard back-and-forth fight, and will look for a finish if the opportunity for it comes.”
With 2024 in the rearview mirror and his 2025 campaign set to begin on the opening fight card of the year — and a potential place in the rankings in front of him — Kopylov is hopeful that the year ahead will bring multiple opportunities, ideally against ranked opposition, and additional chances to continue delivering entertaining performances inside the Octagon.
“If I have no injuries, I would like to be active and fight three or four times a year,” he said when asked to forecast his ideal 2025 schedule. “I am always in shape and cut about 18 pounds to middleweight; I’m always available.
UFC Fight Night: Dern vs Ribas 2 took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 11, 2025. 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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