5 Defining Moments: Roman Kopylov

Now five years into his Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure, Roman Kopylov looks like he intends to stick around and make some moves in the middleweight division.

The former Fight Nights Global champion will toe the line against Chris Curtis in a featured UFC Fight Night 249 middleweight attraction on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Kopylov heads into his first 2025 assignment on the strength of five wins in his past six appearances. He last saw action at UFC 302, where he was awarded split scorecards over Cesar Almeida in their three-round pairing on June 1.

As Kopylov approaches his upcoming clash with Curtis in Sin City, a look at five of the many moments that have come to define him:

1. Introductory Misfire

Karl Roberson put away the previously unbeaten Russian with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their UFC Fight Night 163 middleweight prelim on Nov. 9, 2019 at the CSKA Arena in Moscow. Kopylov, who entered his promotional debut with a perfect 8-0 record, conceded defeat 4:01 into Round 3. Roberson piled up points and punishment with his commitment to powerful low kicks, as he eventually hobbled the sambo stylist and forced him into desperation mode. Kopylov opened a cut on the Dana White’s Contender Series graduate with an inadvertent eye poke in the third round—the wound was significant enough to warrant an examination from the cageside physician—and looked to capitalize upon the restart. Roberson responded well to the unexpected brush with adversity. He secured a takedown, progressed to Kopylov’s back and cinched the choke for the finish.

2. On the Hot Seat

Former two-division Absolute Championship Berkut titleholder Albert Duraev made a successful Octagon debut with a unanimous decision over Kopylov as part of the UFC 267 undercard on Oct. 30, 2021 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Scores were 30-27, 29-27 and 29-27. Kopylov sat down his fellow Russian with a surgical left hand in the second round and enjoyed a late surge in the third. The moments in between largely belonged to Duraev, who filled in as a short-notice injury replacement and showed he belonged. He almost finished it in the middle stanza, where he struck for a takedown, climbed to full mount and unleashed his ground-and-pound around arm-triangle and rear-naked choke attempts. Kopylov emerged with significant damage to his nose but weathered the assault and forced his counterpart to go an additional five minutes. Duraev obliged despite a left eye that had nearly swelled shut and exited the cage with his hand raised. Kopylov fell to 0-2 in the UFC.

3. A Shred of Proof

Kopylov wiped out Alessio Di Chirico with punches in the third round of their UFC Fight Night 209 middleweight feature on Sept. 3, 2022 at Accor Arena in Paris. The end came 69 seconds into Round 3. Di Chirico appeared to turn the corner in the middle stanza, where he took a chunk out of the Russian’s nose, got his right hand in gear and worked behind strong jab. Kopylov re-established himself in the third, as he zeroed in on the body with kicks and targeted the head with clean one-twos. He eventually backed Di Chirico to the fence and let fly with a devastating burst of punches that sent the Italian faceplanting to the canvas.

4. Body Snatcher

Kopylov furthered his cause at 185 pounds when he disposed of Josh Fremd with a wicked second-round body shot as part of the UFC Fight Night 227 undercard on Sept. 16, 2023 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Referee Mark Smith waved it off 4:44 into Round 2. Kopylov picked apart the Pennsylvanian with superior standup for nearly 10 minutes, targeting him with power and precision at all levels. Bloody and weary, Fremd did all he could to wade through the heavy fire. Late in the second round, Kopylov backed up a kick to the midsection with a mean left hook to the liver that dropped the Factory X rep where he stood. No follow-up shots were required.

5. Work Left to Do

Anthony Hernandez took care of business and dispatched the Raty Team product with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their UFC 298 middleweight showcase on Feb. 17 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Kopylov bowed out 3:23 into Round 2. Hernandez crowded the Russian in the clinch, largely neutralizing whatever advantages he possessed on the feet. The former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion took down Kopylov in the middle stanza, advanced to the back and went to the work on the choke. A brief period of give and take gave way to the finish, as Hernandez settled on his desired grip, tightened his squeeze and forced the tapout. The setback snapped Kopylov’s four-fight winning streak.