UFC 267: Albert Duraev vs. Roman Kopylov: Prediction and Analysis

A middleweight bout between Albert Duraev and Roman Kopylov is scheduled to take place at UFC 267. The fight will be part of the preliminary card.

Duraev, who is 14-3 in his career, will make his official UFC debut with this fight. He was last seen on Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2021. He is currently on a nine-fight win streak and hasn’t lost since 2014.

During his win streak, the Russian fighter became ACB’s welterweight and middleweight champion. Before coming on the contender series, he was inactive for 3 years, but made an instant impact and got the UFC contract.

Roman Kopylov, on the other hand, has been inactive since 2019. His last fight was in the UFC at UFC Fight Night 163 which he lost via submission in the third round. Prior to joining the UFC, he was on an eight-fight win streak, and seven of those wins came via T/KO. He accepted to step in for Alessio Di Chirico on short notice for this fight.

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UFC 267: Albert Duraev vs. Roman Kopylov

This is a fight of two totally opposite styles. Duraev prefers to take the fight to the ground, while Kopylov is more comfortable on his feet. nine out of the 14 of Duraev’s wins have come via submission. He is decent on his feet as well, and the lengthy lay-off for Kopylov won’t help him. The UFC debutant will look to take the fight to the ground early and use his superior skills to finish the fight.

Kopylov is an out-and-out striker. The kickboxer from Russia can sprawl extensively and has the right skillset to trouble his opponent, especially on his feet. However, accepting a fight on short notice, after being out of action for almost two years, against a fighter who is on a nine-fight win streak might just be too much of a mountain to climb for him.

Prediction: Albert Duraev to win via submission in the second round

What do you think of this matchup? Do you think Kopylov cause an upset? Let us know in the comments!

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