Undefeated Prospect Nikita Krylov Replaces Jeff Monson in M-1 Heavyweight Grand Prix
Former UFC heavyweight title contender Jeff Monson tore his pectoralis major muscle and had it surgically reattached on Tuesday.
The injury forces the 42-year-old two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Champion out of his M-1 Heavyweight Grand Prix quarterfinal encounter with Russian knockout artist Magomed Malikov. The bout was scheduled to headline M-1 Challenge 38 at the Ice Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia on April 9.
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Stepping in on less than two weeks’ notice will be undefeated Ukrainian prospect Nikita Krylov. The 20-year-old submission specialist has competed exclusively on the Ukrainian circuit so far. In January, he scored back-to-back first-minute knockouts over Bulgarian Julian Bogdanov and Kirghiz representative Kilichbek Sarkarboev to claim the Gladiators Fighting Championship heavyweight tournament title and improve his record to a perfect 13-0.
“This is the most important fight of my career,” Krylov told Sherdog.com via email. “I plan to fight on the ground and of course to win early. I would like to fully dedicate my life to MMA. With this victory, I want to prove that 'The Al Capone' deserves to be a part of the best organizations in the world!”
With only one of Krylov’s previous opponents having a winning record, stepping up to fight hard-nosed slugger Malikov with little time to prepare will be a true graduation day for the young grappler. The winner of Krylov-Malikov faces the victor of the quarterfinal bout between Frenchman Chaban Ka and Belarusian Bellator veteran Alexei Kudin at M-1 Challenge 39 in Moscow on May 23.
Follow Tim Leidecker on Twitter at @TimLeidecker or contact him at www.facebook.com/Rossonero1.
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