Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight athletes Jan Blachowicz and Nikita Krylov collide this Saturday (Sept. 15, 2018) at UFC Fight Night 136 inside Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Moscow, Russia.
For the better part of the first three years of his UFC tenure, Blachowicz gave away winnable fights by gassing out horribly after the first five minutes. It was immensely frustrating to watch — Blachowicz was clearly skilled enough to make an impact on a barren division, but kept losing. Luckily, he fixed that flaw in 2017, and the result has been a three-fight win streak that earned him the No. 4 position in the rankings. Much more important, Nikita Krylov is back! I personally was heartbroken when UFC opted not to pay up for “Miner” back in 2016 when his contract expired. Here’s a man who in 29 professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fights has never seen the judges scorecards, win or lose. The 26-year-old Ukranian athlete is on that Justin Gaethje-tier of excitement, and UFC is much better off with him on the roster.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory:
Jan Blachowicz
Record: 22-7
Key Wins: Jimi Manuwa (UFC Fight Night 127), Ilir Latifi (UFC Fight Night 53), Jared Cannonier (UFC on FOX 26), Devin Clark (UFC Fight Night 118)
Key Losses: Alexander Gustafsson (UFC Fight Night 93), Jimi Manuwa (UFC Fight Night 64), Corey Anderson (UFC 191)
Keys to Victory: A powerful kickboxer with above-average wrestling and tricky submissions, Blachowicz is a fighter who molds himself as necessary. His standard style is low output range kickboxer — an approach which saw a left kick to the gut end Latifi’s night — but last time out, Blachowicz chased down Manuwa with heavy combinations and put “Poster Boy” on his back foot.
Defeating Krylov is all about countering his offense. As should be illustrated by that ridiculous 29 finishes statistic, Krylov is all about offense. He doesn’t care much for defense; a good summary of his thought process would be: My opponent cannot punch me right now if I’m kicking him in the head at this exact moment.
Of course, that type of commitment to offense means Krylov leaves plenty of opportunities for his opponent to take advantage. Essentially, Krylov forces the fight to such an extent that both men are going to take lots of shots or end up in dangerous positions on the mat. As such, winning a decision over the Ukranian isn’t an option. Blachowicz cannot try to match Krylov’s output, but he can make the most of his strikes. Picking and choosing when to exchange with Krylov is key, as Blachowicz should be looking to land seriously damaging blows, ideally using that as an opportunity to submit a wounded “Miner.”
Nikita Krylov
Record: 25-5
Key Wins: Emanuel Newton (Fight Nights Global 77), Fabio Maldonado (Fight Nights Global 87), Walt Harris (UFC on FOX 10), Marcos Rogerio de Lima (UFC Fight Night 69)
Key Losses: Misha Cirkunov (UFC 206), Ovince Saint Preux (UFC 171)
Keys to Victory: When Krylov first entered UFC, he probably wasn’t ready just yet. He was mostly relying on athleticism and aggression, which led to some early struggles. Since then, however, Krylov has shored up his grappling defense significantly and grown far more dangerous offensively.
This seems like a match up designed for Krylov to shine. Blachowicz is certainly well-rounded and tough, but Krylov only loses fights via stoppage, and Blachowicz is not known for his knockout power or exceptional finishing ability in general. Overall, that leaves Krylov free reign to let his offense flow and attempt to overwhelm Blachowicz.
If there’s one adjustment I’d like to see, it’s Krylov kicking to the body frequently. Blachowicz’s improved conditioning is a big asset for him, but Krylov sets a nearly unmatchable pace. If he’s slamming kicks into Blachowicz’s mid-section and keeping his attack up like usual, he’ll likely be able to break down another foe.
Bottom Line: It’s going to be a high-action and relevant Light Heavyweight contest.
Blachowicz is closer to a title shot than makes any sense. There’s basically no one in line at 205 pounds aside from Alexander Gustafsson (and he only fights once a year at best). At this point, any strong performance from a Top 5-ranked contender could see him in the Octagon with “DC,” and Blachowicz’s win streak is already very solid.
It’s a long shot, but it’s not impossible.
Meanwhile, it’s Krylov’s chance to return to the Octagon and jump into the mix as a Top 5-ranked fighter. The two years or so away from UFC were likely good for him, a chance to continue building his skill without getting beaten up by elite fighters who were already fully developed. If he can return with a bang, Krylov is in great position for a title eliminator match soon.
At UFC Fight Night 136, Jan Blachowicz and Nikita Krylov will duel in the co-main event. Which man will have his hand raised?