Nick Klein vs. Joe KropschotW
UFC Fight Night · October 31, 2026 · Meta Apex · Prelims 5:00 PM ET
The brief
- The result
- Joe Kropschot by Submission (armbar), R2
- What kind of fight
- First-round finisher vs. submission grappler
- Finish likelihood
- High
- The line
- Klein +183 · Kropschot -215Opening (offshore consensus)
- The stakes
- Middleweight · Prelims
The result
Joe Kropschot def. Nick Klein — Submission (armbar), R2 1:25
Joe Kropschot made a statement in his promotional debut, catching Nick Klein in a second-round armbar to finish it at 1:25.
Klein took the fight to the mat with his own takedowns, but Kropschot scrambled free, worked his way to Klein's back, and converted a guillotine attempt into the fight-ending arm lock.
The loss extended Klein's skid to three straight defeats since joining the UFC.
The breakdown below was written before the fight.
The read
Both men have shown a strong tendency to finish or be finished early, which points toward a short night.
Kropschot's submission rate and title pedigree make him the pick, but Klein's own power means this is live for either man in the opening minutes.
The matchup
This is a submission-heavy grappler against a fighter who has finished five of his six career wins in the first round.
Kropschot's LFA title pedigree and ground game give him a path to end this quickly if he can close distance, while Klein's own first-round finishing instincts make him dangerous if the fight stays standing early.
Tale of the tape
| 6-3 | Record | 9-3 |
| 31 | Age | 31 |
| 6'1" | Height | 6'3" |
| — | Reach | 79" |
| — | Stance | Orthodox |
| United States | Country | United States |
| — | Team | — |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Nick Klein 6-3
“Blue Collar”
Nick 'Blue Collar' Klein is a 31-year-old American middleweight from Wisconsin who earned his contract on the 2024 Contender Series. He lost his promotional debut to Mansur Abdul-Malik and has not competed since a knockout loss in August 2025. He returns after a long layoff against fellow finisher Joe Kropschot.
UFC debut — no prior UFC bouts.
Joe Kropschot 9-3
“The Land Animal”
Joe 'The Land Animal' Kropschot is a 31-year-old American middleweight from Danville, California, and a former LFA middleweight champion who earned his UFC contract on the 2026 Contender Series, with six of his nine career wins coming by submission. He makes his promotional debut against Nick Klein, a fellow Contender Series alum returning from a long layoff.
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