“The Miner” is back!
Nikita Krylov, the often-overlooked and forgotten Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight, returns to the Octagon against two-time title challenger Dominick Reyesat UFC 314 this Saturday, April 12, 2025, inside Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
No. 8-ranked Krylov last fought in March 2023, submitting Ryan Spann with a triangle choke in under four minutes in Las Vegas (watch highlights).
And then, poof! “The Miner” vanished.
His absence baffled fans. Krylov typically fights twice a year—sometimes even three—but after Spann, he vanished from the cage. Social media offered no clues; the Russian rarely posts. He was slated to compete last Nov. inside the iconic Madison Square Garden, but when his opponent withdrew, Krylov was left without a fight.
At UFC 314 media day (watch here), Krylov admitted he’d have jumped to Heavyweight just to stay on that huge card—he was that eager to fight. Yet he refused to face an untested Contender Series graduate or a random newcomer. He wanted a “worthy” opponent.
No one stepped up.
That still leaves 18 months unaccounted for since his last bout. Well, he didn’t really answer during media day as no one asked, but a now-deleted Match TV interview from last year revealed the truth: a severe shoulder injury had sidelined him.
Krylov is riding a three-fight winning streak heading into his clash with Reyes this weekend. While a win will not move him up the rankings, it will put him back into everyone’s minds as yet another Light Heavyweight title contender.
LIVE! Watch UFC 314 PPV On ESPN+ Here!
FEATHERWEIGHT MADNESS! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) continues its 2025 pay-per-view (PPV) schedule on Sat., March 8, 2025, with a high-stakes clash between 205-pound kingpin, Alex Pereira, defending his Light Heavyweight crown against formidable No. 1-ranked contender, Magomed Ankalaev, in the five-round main event. In UFC 313’s electrifying co-headliner from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Lightweight fan-favorite and former interim champion, Justin Gaethje, will rematch the dynamic Rafael Fiziev in a three-round rematch, stepping in on short notice after Dan Hooker’s withdrawal due to injury. UFC 313 will also feature a hard-hitting Heavyweight battle between Curtis Blaydes and promotional newcomer, Rizvan Kuniev, alongside a Lightweight showdown with Jalin Turner facing Ignacio Bahamondes, and so much more! UFC 313’s start time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET (“Prelims” undercard) and 10 p.m. ET (PPV main card).
Don’t miss a single second of EPIC face-punching action!
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 314 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+)
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 314: “Volkanovski vs. Lopes” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
