BOUTSCOUT
Matchup deep-dive

Nikita Krylov vs.
Magomed Ankalaev

Two full careers, measured against each man's own division and against each other — the tape, the read, and every number behind them.

12-10-0 Nikita Krylov · UFC
13-2-1 (1 NC) Magomed Ankalaev · UFC
Tale of the tape

The men, measured.

Frame, age, layoff and recent form — green marks the edge on each line.

12-10-0
UFC record
13-2-1 (1 NC)
Light Heavyweight
Division (benchmark)
Light Heavyweight
34.4
AgeΔ 0.2 yrs
34.2
6'3"
HeightΔ 0"
6'3"
77"
ReachΔ 2"
75"
Orthodox
Stance
Orthodox
0.9
Layoff (months)Δ 0.5 mo
0.4
LWLLW
Last 5 (newest first)
WLWWW
The read

What the numbers say.

Scouting notes, auto-generated — only stats deviating more than 25% from the division median make this list. No narratives, just deviations.

Nikita Krylov is a submission threat — 1.14 attempts per 15 minutes, vs a 0.27 Light Heavyweight norm.
Nikita Krylov hunts takedowns — 2.19 per 15 minutes, vs a 0.87 Light Heavyweight norm.
Magomed Ankalaev owns the mat — in control 28% of cage time, vs a 16% Light Heavyweight norm.
Level of competition

Who did they actually beat?

Full-career records re-graded by the tier of opposition — the same grading the Contender Series pick model uses. Records built on tier-4 competition are worth less than records built on killers.

Nikita Krylov

Competition tierWL
Tier 1 — UFC / DWCS / PFL / Bellator / ONE / Rizin 1210
Tier 3 — regional circuit 192

Tier-weighted record quality: 1.05 · 12 tier-1/2 wins · 29 finish wins over 43 documented bouts

In the UFC: 9-9 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record +2.6 wins over .500

Magomed Ankalaev

Competition tierWL
Tier 1 — UFC / DWCS / PFL / Bellator / ONE / Rizin 132
Tier 3 — regional circuit 80

Tier-weighted record quality: 1.66 · 13 tier-1/2 wins · 11 finish wins over 25 documented bouts

In the UFC: 10-1 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record +2.8 wins over .500

Striking

The stand-up battle.

Career totals; norms are the medians of each man's own division.

Significant strikes — landed & absorbed

6894.38/min · norm 3.41
Sig. strikes landed
7443.52/min · norm 3.41
4332.75/min · norm 3.35
Sig. strikes absorbed
5282.49/min · norm 3.35
54.2%norm 48.3%
Striking accuracy
52.4%norm 48.3%
48.1%norm 52.9%
Striking defense
55.3%norm 52.9%
60.57/15 · norm 0.40
Knockdowns
70.50/15 · norm 0.40

Where the fight happens (share of sig. strike attempts)

Nikita Krylov

Distance 72.1% (norm 80.5%) · Clinch 15.7% (norm 8.6%) · Ground 12.3% (norm 10.4%)

Magomed Ankalaev

Distance 80.1% (norm 80.5%) · Clinch 6.8% (norm 8.6%) · Ground 13.2% (norm 10.4%)

What they throw (share of sig. strike attempts by target)

Nikita Krylov

Head 69.5% (norm 79.2%) · Body 20.1% (norm 11.7%) · Legs 10.5% (norm 9.7%)

Magomed Ankalaev

Head 69.3% (norm 79.2%) · Body 20.8% (norm 11.7%) · Legs 9.9% (norm 9.7%)

Zone accuracy matrix Landed / attempted by zone

Green ≥ division median, red below. UFCStats tracks position and target as separate splits.

Zone Krylov L/AAccLight Heavyweight med Ankalaev L/AAccLight Heavyweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 408 / 916 44.5% 41.4% 534 / 1138 46.9% 41.4%
In the clinch 156 / 199 78.4% 70.9% 77 / 96 80.2% 70.9%
On the ground 125 / 156 80.1% 72.3% 133 / 187 71.1% 72.3%
BY TARGET
To the head 406 / 883 46.0% 38.9% 402 / 985 40.8% 38.9%
To the body 171 / 255 67.1% 71.9% 215 / 295 72.9% 71.9%
To the legs 112 / 133 84.2% 81.8% 127 / 141 90.1% 81.8%

Zones with fewer than 25 attempts are marked "too few to rate". Each fighter is measured against the median of leaderboard-eligible fighters in his own division (Light Heavyweight: 93 fighters · Light Heavyweight: 93 fighters).

What lands on them Opponents' accuracy against each man

Green ≤ division median — harder to hit than the typical man in his division.

Zone vs Krylov L/AOpp accLight Heavyweight med vs Ankalaev L/AOpp accLight Heavyweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 274 / 608 45.1% 40.4% 463 / 1089 42.5% 40.4%
In the clinch 68 / 98 69.4% 68.7% 39 / 52 75.0% 68.7%
On the ground 91 / 129 70.5% 70.4% 26 / 39 66.7% 70.4%
BY TARGET
To the head 374 / 761 49.1% 37.5% 155 / 683 22.7% 37.5%
To the body 37 / 50 74.0% 72.3% 115 / 192 59.9% 72.3%
To the legs 22 / 24 too few to rate 83.0% 258 / 305 84.6% 83.0%
Grappling

The ground war.

Takedowns, control and submissions — career totals with each man's per-minute rates against his division norm.

2338.3% acc · 2.19/15 · norm 0.87
Takedowns landed
1224.5% acc · 0.85/15 · norm 0.87
2553.2% def · norm 66.7%
Takedowns stopped
2187.5% def · norm 66.7%
55:3835.4% of cage time · norm 16.5%
Control time
60:0728.4% of cage time · norm 16.5%
36:413:29 per 15 · norm 2:48
Time under control
6:440:28 per 15 · norm 2:48
121.14/15 · norm 0.27
Submission attempts
30.21/15 · norm 0.27

Bars compare the two men's rates (per-minute / per-15 figures), not raw totals — Krylov has more cage time on record.

Next move

Let the engine settle it.