Roman Kopylov has been a rising talent in the middleweight division for some time. After starting 0-2 in the promotion, Kopylov has racked up wins in six of his last seven fights. Now, following a buzzer-beater headkick knockout of Chris Curtis, the Russian gets the biggest fight of his career against former title challenger Paulo Costa at UFC 318 this Saturday.
“I’m very happy to fight against such an opponent as Paulo. This is a big name, this is a huge opportunity for me, a co-main event,” Kopylov said during this week’s media day, speaking with outlets including Cageside Press. “I’m excited, I’m ready, and this is a chance for me to show what I can do.”
Kopylov followed up on the big opportunity that the co-main event of a PPV presents, saying that “It’s a huge honor to me, I’m very thankful… I’ll make sure to try and answer their trust and do whatever I can to show a great fight to fans.”
When asked about Costa’s struggles with activity and recent losses, Kopylov still held high praise for the Brazilian.
“Either way, with all the delays and all the mishaps with his career, he’s still in the top 15, which is still the elite part of the division. So I think he’s exactly in his career where he’s supposed to be.”
Roman Kopylov Doubts Costa’s Claims
When responding to Costa’s bold claims of an early finish, Kopylov expressed doubt due to past experiences.
“Many times in my career, I’ve seen somebody say something like that, but not a lot of people were able to successfully commit to what they said. We’ll see on the 19th, the fight will show, but we’re excited to see what’s gonna happen.”
The win would be the biggest of Kopylov’s career, elevating him to bigger fights next, despite the two being ranked #13 and #14, respectively.
Watch the full UFC 318 media day appearance by Roman Kopylov above.
