Ukrainian UFC fighter Krylov stated that he is "happy to proudly represent Russia"

Ukrainian UFC fighter Krylov stated that he is "happy to proudly represent Russia"

Ukrainian light heavyweight fighter Mykyta Krylov announced a change of citizenship ahead of his UFC fight against Dominick Reyes.

At the press conference, the athlete stated that he will now compete under the Russian flag.

"Before the previous fight, I requested to indicate Kislovodsk, Russia, as my location. This is because I have been living in this city for a long time and can represent it. The fact that there was no flag for a long time was more related to the fact that my main place of residence was Donetsk. And as we know, there are many discussions on the political arena regarding this. Not everyone recognizes its affiliation. Therefore, I preferred to compete without a flag. Now I am proud to represent Russia," Krylov said.

Recall that Krylov is originally from Khrustalnyi (Krasny Luch), Luhansk region. Until 2022, he competed in MMA under the Ukrainian flag, but after the full-scale invasion of the Russian army, he became "neutral."

Krylov has repeatedly expressed support for the "LPR" and "DPR", expressing a desire to obtain their passports in the future. Currently, the fighter primarily resides in Moscow.

"I considered and still consider myself Russian, and where you live — in Ukraine, Belarus, or Russia — is not that important. I have a Ukrainian passport, and I’m completely fine with it and not bothered. If our republics are recognized and DPR and LPR passports become available, I will be the first in line for such a passport," Krylov said.

Not long ago, Mykyta decided to "creatively" support the Russians by getting a tattoo on his chest in honor of a battalion from the terrorist country.