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Top 10 Fascinating Facts About Nikita Krylov  

Nikita Krylov is a Ukrainian Mixed Martial Artist. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling, and ground fighting. It incorporates techniques from various combat sports from around the world.  

This sport is sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), or ultimate fighting. It was originally referred to as Vale Tudo. 

Nikita competes in the ultimate fighting championship in the light heavyweight division.  He has 28 wins with a 97% finish rate, including one by decision, 15 by submission, and 12 by knockout.  

Here are the top 10 fascinating facts about Nikita Krylov. 

1. He Began With Karate When He Was 10 Years Old 

Nikita Krylov was born on 7th March 1992 into a Russian family of miners at Krasnyi Luch in Ukraine. He was the son of Andrii Krylov and he has a younger brother. He originally began training in Kyokushin Karate at the age of 10 years. 

Nikita used to work in the mining industry before he took on mixed martial arts as a full-time job. Very little is known about his personal life. 

2. Nikita Has A Black Belt In Karate, A Sport His Dad Played Too 

Man in Karate uniform. Photo by Thao Lee –

Nikita is 1.9m tall, weighs 93 kg, and has a fantastic physique and personality. When he was young, the artist began by emulating karate moves from his father as he practiced because he was a successful competitor in the sport.  

For 10 years, Nikita played Karate before making the transition into mixed martial arts when he was 20 years old. In Karate he earned the black belt, becoming a master of sports in the discipline and hand-to-hand combat.     

He began his professional career in MMA on 12th July 2012 and has competed for M-1 Global or MMA-1 which is a Mixed Martial Arts promotion based in St. Petersburg, Russia. M-1 Global holds between ten and 20 competitions every year.  

3. His Chest Tattoo Has A Special Meaning   

Nikita鈥檚 childhood friend designed the intricate tattoo with black and grey ink that is on his upper torso. The friend that designed it was his training partner for many years. Sadly he was a casualty of civil unrest in Ukraine years ago.  

The tattoo is very special to him as it portrays twisting chainwork that spill into an iron cross, with a silhouetted ring and Greek characters 鈥淴鈥� and 鈥淧鈥� jutting from the center. He got his nickname from his unbreakable will that resembles a miner trapped below the surface trying to battle suffocation.   

He also has a Tommy gun tattoo hidden underneath his left bicep. The tattoo is a homage to the preferred firearm of Al Capone.   

4. Several Fights Have Ended In Submissions 

On 27th July 2012, he defeated Alexander Umrikhin via Total Knock Out (TKO), and in the following five months, he won eleven fights, 10 submissions, and 1 TKO.  

On December 29th, he lost by submission to Vladimir Mishchenko at Oplot Challenge 22. He later had a rematch with Mishchenko at Oplot Challenge. In 2013, he had two quick wins in a Gladiators Fighting Challenge tournament in Donetsk.  

Nikita defeated Gabriel Tampu by TKO at M-1 Challenge 38 in St. Petersburg, Russia. He has an MMA record of 21 wins in 26 matches, including eight knockouts, of which four were submissions.  

The next fight was a loss on December 10th, 2016, at UFC 206, when he faced Misha Cirkunov. He lost the fight by submission in the first round.  

5. He Has Won Many Championships 

Mixed Martial Arts Event. Photo By PFL MMA –

In January 2014, Nikita returned in the opening bout of UFC on fox 7 against Walt Harris. The score was a 25-second Total Knock Out giving him victory through head kicks and punches. His win made him consider dropping the heavyweight division in his next Fight, as he told the reporters.   

Next, he fought with Ovince Saint Preux and was choked unconscious in the first round. In July 2014, at UFC Fight Night 46, he faced Cody Donovan and won the fight by TKO seconds to the end of the first round.   

Another win was against Francimar Barroso via submission on 8th May 2016, at UFC Fight Night 87. Ed Herman was another contender to bout with on 30th July 2016, at UFC 201. Nikita dominated the first round, and 40 seconds into the second round, he won the fight by a knockout from a head kick.   

6. Nikita Dislikes Calling Others Out 

Nikita does not need to challenge anyone to a fight because his compensation does not depend on whom he faces. His pay is always constant no matter whom he faces in the ring.  

Nevertheless, he is always ready to face anyone who calls him out like in the case of Francimar Barroso in 2016. He faced different opponents until he opted not to renew his contract. He is entirely devoted and dedicated to his career.  

7. He Was The First Ukrainian to Sign With The UFC  

MMA Fighters. Photo by Vladislav Bychkov on

When Nikita started his career in 2012, he made various promotions in Ukraine and Russia. His first was the Octagon UFC 164 opposite Sao Palelei. The other one was a defeat from Misha Cirkunov. 

He left with a record of 6-3, paving the way for other Ukrainians to join UFC like Maryna Moroz-women strawweight, and Alexey Oleynik-light heavyweight  

8. Nikita Has Many Achievements   

This guy is the foremost fighter in the light heavyweight division of the ultimate fighting championship (UFC). In the light heavyweight division, he stands as number 8. He is also number 11 in the UFC light heavyweight rankings.  

Apart from being a Black belt and Master of sports in Kyokushin Karate, Nikita also has Advanced in hand-to-hand combat and is a Master of sports in submission Fighting. 

9. He Once Lost A Fight Because He Was Tired 

Fighters in MMA Championship. Photo By Aleks –

Nikita was signed against Soa Palelei in August 2013 by the UFC 164. Just after the first round, he was exhausted and too tired to fight and he lost in the third round.  

When asked about it later, the artist blamed his loss on fatigue and the long journey from Donetsk to Milwaukee.  

10. He Is On Twitter and Instagram  

While training in Kyiv, Nikita wore a uniform bearing the Russian flag despite the war between the countries. This led to him being shunned from the gym, with members calling for action to be taken against him. Shortly thereafter, he relocated to Moscow. 

Nikita is one of the most prominent fighters in mixed martial arts today. He is quite popular on social media, and his fans adore him.