12 KOs, 16 submissions, and just 2 decisions! That’s what Nikita Krylov’s 30 professional wins look like. The Ukrainian has been one of the most decorated finishers in MMA. Throughout his journey, he’s shared the octagon with legendary 205ers like Glover Teixeira, Alexander Gustafsson, Jan Blachowicz, and even the current champ, Magomed Ankalaev. But in the last couple of years, Krylov’s activity inside the cage hasn’t quite been the same.

‘The Miner’ last fought against Dominick Reyes at UFC 314 in April 2025 and lost via a vicious left hook KO. But that wasn’t the strange part. Krylov stepped into the octagon against ‘The Devastator’ after his last bout with Ryan Spann at UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Dvalishvili in 2023. He may have won that fight, but it also signaled a two-year hiatus from the sport. The question arose—why? The answer turned out to be a brutal injury. We will dive deep into this before he steps into the octagon against Bagdan Guskov at UFC Abu Dhabi.  

What Injury Did Nikita Krylov Suffer? 

The legendary 205er kept things under wraps, and soon, his bout against Azamat Murzakanov was announced at the UFC 309 pay-per-view. But that fight got cancelled as his opponent withdrew from the event. Then, next we saw him at the UFC 314 media day, where he revealed the thought of moving into the heavyweight division because he only wanted to face “worthy opponents” and not any random up-and-comer. But, surprisingly, no questions around his two-year hiatus were asked. Until a year ago interview revealed the reason. 

In a now-deleted interview with Match TV last year, Krylov revealed that he had suffered a shoulder injury since summer 2023, which forced him to take a year off from the sport to recover. The Roundhouse MMA Instagram account also posted Krylov’s picture with the caption: “In case you’ve been wondering where Nikita Krylov is… Krylov suffered a very serious shoulder injury in the summer of 2023 and was taking time off to heal. In due time, he will be getting back to training and will figure out when he can fight again.” 

That’s definitely a revelation that might affect the trajectory of his career moving forward. Shoulder injuries are one of the most common yet toughest surgeries to deal with. Many fighters before him have gone through the same. Some recovered, some didn’t. So, let’s take a look at how much this injury has affected his career so far, and whether there could be any complications in the future. 

How Has the Injury Impacted His UFC Career? 

Well, indeed, Nikita Krylov fought only once in 2023, against Ryan Spann, which he won, since the actual injury happened that same year. After that, we saw him return in 2025 to face Dominick Reyes. Although he brutally lost that fight, the actual state of his shoulder injury remains unclear. So, it’s hard to assume anything for now. However, dealing with a shoulder injury can be a real hassle, and there are two solid examples to prove that. 

Former light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka went through a similar ordeal after winning the belt against Glover Teixeira at UFC 275. The injury forced him to pull out of the rematch and even vacate the title. It was so severe that doctors and even Dana White called it one of the worst shoulder injury they’d ever seen. Luckily, ‘BJP’ recovered and is active again. But not every fighter is that fortunate. 

T.J. Dillashaw, the former 135 lbs champ, also had recurring shoulder issues. He suffered from dislocations, and most famously, his shoulder popped out during the fight against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 280. Dillashaw later revealed it was even worse during his training camp, which affected his performance in the fight as well.

Recent fan chatter online suggests frustration with the UFC’s handling of Krylov’s inactivity. On X, many fans pointed to the canceled MSG slot in 2024 and speculated that fight‑makers had no substitute for him. Some even proposed he should’ve fought in Poland or another big city to stay visible. On Reddit’s r/MMA, several threads wondered if he’d ever regain his previous explosiveness after that layoff.

The question remains: Is Krylov still battling that shoulder injury, or has he truly made a comeback? We need to ensure the Ukrainian remains safe and forges ahead in his career. So, what do you think will unfold next? Will he ultimately lose shoulder strength? Or keep battling without any obstacles? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.