Roman Kopylov defeated Marco Tulio by unanimous decision with all three judges scoring it 29-28 at UFC 328, bringing his UFC record to 7-5. The post expresses disappointment that Kopylov didn't finish the Brazilian after scoring knockdowns, with the author curious to hear his explanation for not pursuing the finish when it appeared close. The fight followed a familiar pattern for Kopylov of inconsistent performances with many strikes absorbed and lost exchanges, similar to his fights with Curtis and Robocop. Despite showing excellent power and fast, deceptive kicks with good feinting ability, Kopylov struggled to dominate throughout the entire fight, resulting in another nerve-wracking decision victory.
Roman Kopylov earned a unanimous decision win over Marco Tulio at UFC 328 on May 9, with all three judges returning identical 29-28 scorecards in the middleweight bout, pushing his overall record to 15-5.
Kopylov, 34, represents Russia out of Raty Team and enters the result ranked 14th in the middleweight division. The southpaw stands six feet tall with a 75-inch reach and lands 4.59 significant strikes per minute at 50 percent accuracy. The victory was far from clean, however. Kopylov scored knockdowns during the fight but failed to convert them into a finish, leaving observers puzzled as to why he did not press for the stoppage when the opportunity seemed within reach. The performance echoed familiar concerns about his consistency — absorbing unnecessary punishment, losing individual exchanges, and grinding out a nervy decision rather than capitalising on his evident power and his fast, deceptive kicking game backed by sharp feinting.
Tulio, fighting out of Chute Boxe Diego Lima, brought an aggressive 14-3 record into the cage. The 32-year-old Brazilian stands at six feet with a 74-inch reach and produces an active striking output of 6.69 significant strikes per minute at a strong 58 percent accuracy, suggesting he was never a passive target despite hitting the canvas. He also averages 1.42 takedown attempts per 15 minutes, adding a wrestling dimension that may have complicated Kopylov's finishing instincts at various moments.
Why it matters
- Kopylov remains in the middleweight top-15 at 14th but another grinding decision does little to strengthen his ranking position
- His inability to convert knockdowns into stoppages is a recurring pattern that limits his case for a higher-profile matchup
- Tulio's high striking output and active wrestling make him a difficult opponent to put away, which may partly explain the failure to finish
Saturday, May 9, 2026
