Nikita Krylov vs. Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev
UFC 333 · October 24, 2026 · Etihad Arena · Prelims 10:00 AM ET
The brief
- What kind of fight
- Veteran finisher vs. undefeated blitzer
- Finish likelihood
- High
- The line
- No line posted yet
- The stakes
- Light Heavyweight · Prelims
The read
Yakhyaev's first-round finishing rate is remarkable, but he has never faced a durable, veteran finisher like Krylov, whose own instincts have produced 29 stoppages of his own.
If Yakhyaev can find the same explosive opening he's used to end fights early, his undefeated run continues; if Krylov survives the first five minutes, his experience and power become the bigger threat the longer this goes.
The matchup
This is a crossroads fight for a long-tenured veteran against a perfect prospect.
Krylov, one of the light heavyweight division's most reliable finishers with 29 of his 31 career wins by knockout or submission, has alternated wins and losses across his last four fights.
Yakhyaev is unbeaten at 10-0 with nine of those wins by finish, eight of them in the first round, and has yet to face anyone with Krylov's experience.
Tale of the tape
| 31-12 | Record | 10-0 |
| 34 | Age | 25 |
| 6'3" | Height | 6'2" |
| 77.5" | Reach | — |
| Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
| Russia | Country | Turkey |
| — | Team | MMA & Combat Nurnberg |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Nikita Krylov 31-12
“The Miner”
Nikita 'The Miner' Krylov is a 34-year-old veteran light heavyweight and one of the division's most reliable finishers, with 29 of his 31 career wins coming by knockout or submission. He alternated results through 2025 and 2026, getting knocked out by Bogdan Guskov before rebounding with a knockout of Modestas Bukauskas, then dropping a third-round TKO loss to newly-arrived Robert Whittaker at UFC 329 in July 2026. He now faces an opponent, undefeated at 10-0, in Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev at UFC 333.
- LRobert Whittaker · TKO (punches)UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2 · July 11, 2026
- WModestas Bukauskas · KO/TKOUFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett · January 24, 2026
- LBogdan Guskov · KO/TKOUFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder · July 26, 2025
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev 10-0
“The Hunter”
Abdul-Rakhman 'The Hunter' Yakhyaev is an undefeated 25-year-old who trains out of Nuremberg, Germany. He is 3-0 in the UFC with three first-round finishes, including a submission of Rafael Cerqueira and an eight-second knockout of Julius Walker in June 2026. Nine of his ten career wins are finishes, eight of them in the first round, and he now steps up in competition against veteran Nikita Krylov at UFC 333.
Has never lost.
- WJulius Walker · KO (punch)UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs. Torres · June 27, 2026
- WBrendson Ribeiro · Submission (rear-naked choke)UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Duncan · April 4, 2026
- WRafael Cerqueira · Submission (rear-naked choke)UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Hooker · November 22, 2025