Krylov vs. Yakhyaev is booked for Saturday 24 October at UFC 333 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi: a light heavyweight fight between the unbeaten Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev (10-0) and the veteran Nikita Krylov (31-12). According to the event's card listing on Wikipedia, it is on the preliminary card, ahead of the Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev main event.
Krylov vs. Yakhyaev: date, card and weight class
The fight is a non-title bout at 205 pounds. Other light heavyweight fights on the same prelims include Azamat Murzakanov vs. Dominick Reyes, according to the same listing. UFCalendar's fight page, which places the bout on the main card, gives the same records for both men, so the card position is worth rechecking closer to the event.
Is Yakhyaev unbeaten? Yes. Pugna MMA's data has him at 10-0, with four wins by knockout or TKO, five by submission and one by decision. He is 25, according to UFCalendar.
Yakhyaev's rise: 10-0 and the 33-second UFC debut
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev, nicknamed "Hunter", was born in Chechnya and represents Türkiye, with a combat sambo base. Our records show he earned his place with a first-round TKO of Alik Lorenz on Dana White's Contender Series in August 2025.
His UFC debut came at UFC Qatar in November 2025. Sherdog and Bloody Elbow reported that he submitted Rafael Cerqueira in 33 seconds, and ClutchPoints described it as a light heavyweight record. He then submitted Brendson Ribeiro in the first round in April 2026 and stopped Julius Walker by first-round TKO in June 2026.
Our database lists Yakhyaev at number 15 in the UFC light heavyweight rankings, as of 20 October.
Krylov's UFC career: the finishes and the losses
Nikita Krylov, "The Miner", is from Ukraine and finishes fights. Of his 31 wins, 16 came by submission and 13 by knockout or TKO, and only two went to the judges.
His recent run has been mixed. He lost by first-round knockout to Dominick Reyes at UFC 314 in April 2025 and to Bogdan Guskov in July 2025. He beat Modestas Bukauskas by third-round TKO at UFC 324 in January 2026, then lost by third-round TKO to Robert Whittaker at UFC 329 in July 2026.
What a win does for the light heavyweight ranking
Is Nikita Krylov ranked? Our database lists him at number 15 in the UFC light heavyweight division, but that entry dates from 1 September, and Yakhyaev holds the same number as of 20 October. Two fighters cannot share a spot, so the current order should be checked against the UFC's official rankings. Other outlets also describe Krylov as ranked 15th.
Either way, the result will matter for the bottom of the top 15. A win lets Yakhyaev show that his first-round finishes carry over against a fighter with 43 pro bouts. A win lets Krylov stop a run in which he has lost three of his last four.
Pugna MMA will update both records after the fight on 24 October.
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