Nikita Krylov will face fellow light heavyweight Volkan Oezdemir in one of UFC 280’s most eagerly awaited preliminary-card matches.

These two seasoned fighters have participated in numerous memorable UFC matches, winning and losing against some of the best athletes in the division over the years.

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Who is Nikita Krylov?

Born on March 7, 1992, Nikita Andreyevich Krylov represents Ukraine in the light heavyweight category of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He began competing professionally in 2012 and has also represented M-1 Global. He is ranked number 10 in the UFC light heavyweight standings as of September 13, 2022.

Krylov is a native of the Ukrainian town of Krasnyi Luch. His father had been a successful contender in Kyokushin Karate, therefore he initially started training in the martial art at the age of ten. In 2012, Krylov transitioned to mixed martial arts.

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On July 27, 2012, at West Fight 4 in Donetsk, Ukraine, Krylov made his professional debut by KOing Alexander Umrikhin. Before losing by submission to Vladimir Mishchenko at Oplot Challenge 22 on December 29 Krylov won eleven additional fights (10 by submission, 1 by TKO) over the course of the following five months.

He fought Mishchenko again on March 8 at Oplot Challenge 40 and was once more surrendered by an arm-triangle choke after taking two quick victories in a Gladiators Fighting Challenge fight in Donetsk on January 19, 2013. He defeated Gabriel Tampu by TKO at the M-1 Challenge 38 event in St. Petersburg, Russia, a month later.

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Krylov, who is a student at the Donetsk Law Institute, bases his gimmick on Al Capone and cites Ilya Mate, and Igor Vovchanchyn as his heroes. In honour of his hometown of Donetsk, which was home to numerous occupational miners, he changed his moniker from Al Capone to The Miner prior to his fight with Francimar Barroso.

Krylov openly supports Donbass secession and has said that he would “be the first in line for a passport” if the Luhansk People’s Republic ever achieved international recognition as a state. Despite the conflict between the two nations, Krylov wore a uniform with the Russian flag while undergoing training in Kyiv. Because of this, he was shunned by the gym’s patrons, who demanded that something be done about him. Soon after that, he moved to Moscow.