Middleweights look to get some momentum going in this clash. Things
just have not clicked for Kopylov thus far in his UFC career, and
with two losses in two fights, time might be running out for him to
turn the situation around. On the regional scene in his native
Russia, Kopylov used pace and volume to outlast his opponents.
Blessed with some legitimately fast hands, Kopylov could
consistently win exchange after exchange and avoid enough damage to
rack up some late finishes once his opponents were sufficiently
overwhelmed. However, upon his UFC debut in 2019 against Karl
Roberson, it became clear that Kopylov would struggle against
more powerful athletes able to match him on his own terms. After a
two-year layoff, Kopylov did put in a game effort against a tough
wrestler in Albert
Duraev in October, but turning the corner into a winning
performance is crucial against Italy’s Di Chirico. A physically
solid fighter with some well-rounded skills, Di Chirico is often
quite frustrating to watch. Left to his own devices, “Manzo” would
prefer to neutralize his opponent and coast out a slow-paced win.
The Italian is still capable of enough moments of violence to stay
interesting, as his 2021 knockout of Joaquin
Buckley showed, but that momentum was short-lived, as Di
Chirico surprisingly suffered the first knockout loss of his career
his next time out. Given Di Chirico’s unwillingness to force the
issue, Kopylov could win this simply by staying at range and
pot-shotting away. However, with Di Chirico being the harder hitter
and a capable wrestler, the Italian does seemingly have the avenues
to separate himself on the scorecards. It is unlikely to be
inspiring, but the pick is Di Chirico via decision.
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