The middleweight division continues to deliver compelling matchups in 2026, and UFC 328 is already shaping as much as be a stacked fight card in Recent Jersey. The UFC has confirmed that Russian knockout artist Roman Kopylov will square off against Brazilian finisher Marco Tulio on May 9 on the Prudential Center in Newark, Recent Jersey, first reported by ESPN Brasil’s Higor Ciconello. With each fighters carrying serious power and reputations built on spectacular finishes, this matchup has all of the ingredients of a highlight-reel evening at 185 kilos.
Roman Kopylov will fight Marco Tulio at #UFC328 on May ninth. (first rep. @higorciconello) #UFC #MMA #UFCParamount #UFConParamount #UFC2026 pic.twitter.com/Qmlh6HzEdE
— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) March 3, 2026
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 profession knockouts, a genuinely elite ending 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 profession, and with a head kick TKO over Chris Curtis earlier in 2025, the hearth is clearly still burning. A win over a rising contender like Tulio could resurrect his middleweight rating and put him back within the title conversation.
Marco Tulio (14-2) has been one of the crucial buzzed-about middleweights since arriving within 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.
That setback exposed questions on his chin and whether his aggressive style leaves him vulnerable on the elite level. Tulio has electric ending instincts, with 10 profession KO wins and 7 first-round stoppages, but facing a veteran like Kopylov, who has seen every sort of adversity a middleweight can throw at him, can be his biggest test yet.
The Prudential Center in Newark has turn into one among the UFC’s most reliable venues, hosting the promotion annually since 2023. With Newark crowds known for his or her electric energy, the atmosphere on May 9 guarantees to match the violence contained in 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