The middleweight division continues to deliver compelling matchups in 2026, and UFC 328 is already shaping up to be a stacked fight card in New Jersey. The UFC has confirmed that Russian knockout artist Roman Kopylov will square off against Brazilian finisher Marco Tulio on May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, first reported by ESPN Brasil's Higor Ciconello. With both fighters carrying serious power and reputations built on spectacular finishes, this matchup has all the ingredients of a highlight-reel evening at 185 pounds.

Roman Kopylov enters this fight at 14-5, walking into the Octagon with something to prove after a frustrating stretch. The 33-year-old Novosibirsk native holds 12 career knockouts, a genuinely elite finishing rate, but back-to-back decision losses to Paulo Costa at UFC 318 in July 2025, and Gregory Rodrigues at UFC 322 this past November have stalled his momentum.

Kopylov has never been knocked out in his career, and with a head kick TKO over Chris Curtis earlier in 2025, the fire is clearly still burning. A win over a rising contender like Tulio could resurrect his middleweight ranking and put him back in the title conversation.

Marco Tulio (14-2) has been one of the most buzzed-about middleweights since arriving in the UFC off the 2024 Contender Series. The Brazilian power-puncher earned back-to-back finishes in his first two Octagon appearances before absorbing a reality check, a knockout loss to Christian Leroy Duncan in November 2025.

Article Continues Below

That setback exposed questions about his chin and whether his aggressive style leaves him vulnerable at the elite level. Tulio has electric finishing instincts, with 10 career KO wins and seven first-round stoppages, but facing a veteran like Kopylov, who has seen every type of adversity a middleweight can throw at him, will be his biggest test yet.

The Prudential Center in Newark has become one of the UFC's most reliable venues, hosting the promotion annually since 2023. With Newark crowds known for their electric energy, the atmosphere on May 9 promises to match the violence inside the cage.

UFC 328 Confirmed Fights

  • Roman Kopylov vs. Marco Tulio — Middleweight
  • Ateba Abega Gautier vs. Osman Diaz — Middleweight
  • Clayton Carpenter vs. Jose Ochoa — Flyweight