5 Top Fighters Signed By The UFC In 2018

#5 Nikita Krylov

Nikita Krylov is returning to the UFC in September

When Ukraine’s Nikita Krylov – somewhat a cult hero online and nicknamed ‘Nikki Thrills’ by his fans – was released from the UFC in February 2017, it came as a massive shock. Not only was he one of the few rising stars in the now-thin Light-Heavyweight division, but he’d lost just once in his last six fights, to fellow contender Misha Cirkunov. But there was more of a method behind the seeming madness than was initially thought.

According to reports, Krylov had actually requested his release, feeling that he’d be able to gain valuable experience outside of the UFC against somewhat less dangerous opponents and that he preferred to fight closer to his home country of Ukraine in order to be nearer to his young family. So unlike many fighters exiting the promotion, there was seemingly no bad blood.

That’s probably why it came as no surprise this June when it was announced that ‘The Miner’ was on his way back to the UFC having been released by the Fight Nights Global promotion – where he’d won three of his four fights outside the Octagon since leaving there.

Whether Krylov’s skills have improved as much as he would’ve liked in the relatively brief two years he’d been away from the UFC is a question mark, but realistically he was well on his way to contendership before he left anyway. He’s now signed to face #4 ranked Jan Blachowicz in September and if he can win that one, then an unlikely title shot could be in his future in 2019.