The MMA Daily

This is an under the radar fight, as it all but promises to result in an exciting finish. Albert Duraev is a well rounded fighter that boasts excellent grappling and submission abilities. While he can be a little wild on the feet, at times, he has shown the ability to get in and out when striking. Using leg kicks and power in his hands, Duraev has set up several submissions by knocking down opponents on the feet. Roman Kopylov knocks down opponents as well, but the difference is, they usually aren’t conscious at that point. With all eight wins coming via knockout, Kopylov is a dangerous striker. He has quick hands, throws excellent combinations and can explode on a dime with a flurry. 

As for a prediction, while tough, I’m going to side with Duraev. With seventeen fights and big wins on the resume, Duraev is more than UFC ready. The fact that he fought one month ago, whereas Kopylov is nearing two years of inactivity gives me belief that Duraev will need little time to be adjusted in his debut. Another reason I like Duraev in this fight is his ability to grapple and hunt for submissions. As long as he doesn’t mess around too much on the feet with Kopylov, I do believe he will find a way to get this fight to the mat. From there, Duraev will lock in his tenth submission victory.