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UFC Middleweight

Roman Kopylov VS Marco Tulio

Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, U.S.

Tale of the Tape

16-5-0 Record 14-3-0
35 Age 31
183 cm Height 183 cm
190 cm Reach 189 cm
southpaw Stance orthodox
81% Finish rate 79%
81% KO rate 71%
0% Sub rate 7%

Result Summary

Roman Kopylov def. Marco Tulio Decision (unanimous) · R3 5:00

Roman Kopylov defeated Marco Tulio by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) in a middleweight preliminary bout at UFC 328 in Newark on May 9, 2026. Tulio controlled the opening two rounds with a sharp lead right hand, opening a cut above Kopylov's left eye and building an early edge on the cards. Kopylov rallied with a knockdown late in the second round and scored another early in the third, both shifts proving decisive on all three judges' scorecards. Kopylov held on through the final frame to take all three cards and snap a two-fight losing streak.

Fight Overview

Roman Kopylov (14-5) and Marco Tulio (14-2) are two of the middleweight division's sharpest knockout threats meeting at a crossroads — Kopylov has dropped back-to-back decisions through struggles with sustained forward pressure, while Tulio was stopped by a Christian Leroy Duncan spinning backfist that exposed a tracking gap against unorthodox attacks. Both are natural finishers looking to reset their momentum, and either can end the night with a single well-placed exchange.

Keys to Victory

Roman Kopylov

  1. Use angled footwork to circle off Tulio's power punching lanes rather than retreating straight back, which invited clean counters against Rodrigues.
  2. Establish kicks early to slow Tulio's forward march and create the space where Kopylov's head kick power becomes a constant threat.
  3. Keep exchanges crisp and avoid overstaying in punching range after landing — Tulio's power compounds when inside distance is ceded.

Marco Tulio

  1. Cut off the cage and pressure forward relentlessly — Kopylov's habit of retreating and resetting becomes a liability when escape routes are removed.
  2. Vary the height of attacks by mixing body shots with head strikes to break Kopylov's timing and expose him for overhand combinations.
  3. Stay alert to unorthodox attacks — the spinning backfist loss showed what happens when tracking lapses against unconventional opponents.

Last 5 fights

Roman Kopylov

  1. L Gregory Rodrigues Decision · R3 5:00 · 15 NOV 2025
  2. L Paulo Costa Decision · R3 5:00 · 19 JUL 2025
  3. W Chris Curtis TKO · R3 4:59 · 11 JAN 2025
  4. W César Almeida Decision · R3 5:00 · 1 JUN 2024
  5. L Anthony Hernandez Submission · R2 3:23 · 17 FEB 2024

Marco Tulio

  1. L Christian Leroy Duncan TKO · R2 3:20 · 8 NOV 2025
  2. W Tresean Gore TKO · R2 3:16 · 12 APR 2025
  3. W Ihor Potieria TKO · R1 3:04 · 11 JAN 2025
  4. W Matthieu Duclos TKO · R2 2:38 · 27 AUG 2024
  5. W Cemey dos Santos KO · R2 2:20 · 27 JAN 2024

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AI-generated This analysis was generated with AI and may contain errors.

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