Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev needed 2 minutes 38 seconds. At UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, the unbeaten light heavyweight stopped veteran Nikita Krylov in round 1 with a knee to the head followed by punches. At 25, he is now 11-0, and he wants the division’s top 5 next.
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Key takeaways
- Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev beat Nikita Krylov by TKO at 2:38 of round 1 at UFC 333, Saturday, October 24 in Abu Dhabi.
- The 25-year-old light heavyweight is now 11-0 and picks up his 3rd win of the year.
- Krylov falls to 31-13, after a round 3 stoppage loss to Robert Whittaker at UFC 329 in July.
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev vs Krylov: the finish
A takedown that turned around
Krylov shot for a takedown and got to the clinch. Yakhyaev reversed the position, put him on the canvas and went straight for a guillotine, then took his back, according to Cageside Press.
The knee
Yakhyaev landed a knee to the head, then a series of punches. The referee stopped the fight at 2 minutes 38 of round 1. The official result is a TKO.
A different test
Krylov has 31 pro wins and years at the top of the division. He had been stopped by Robert Whittaker in round 3 at UFC 329 on July 11.
A fighter who grew up watching his opponent
Respect before anything
“I know Nikita Krylov long time,” Yakhyaev said after the fight, according to Sherdog. He explained that he watched Krylov’s fights at 18, when he was starting MMA, and that he liked them.
A ladder to climb
He wants to work through the top 5 one rank at a time, from number 5 to number 1. He believes an active schedule could put him in title contention next year.
The weight of 11-0
No loss, and another finish against a veteran with more than 40 pro fights. Yakhyaev fought on the UFC 333 prelims, on a night built around 2 title fights.
I want a fight with the top 5.
What it changes at light heavyweight
A name for the rankings
Beating Krylov should move Yakhyaev closer to the ranked fighters. The UFC has not announced his next opponent.
No shortcut
Yakhyaev did not call out a specific name. He asked for a top 5 opponent and left the choice to the UFC.
Follow his rise
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev and Nikita Krylov have their profile, record and rating in the FightHub app.
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