Rivalries: Misha Cirkunov

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Maddening inconsistency has marked Misha Cirkunov’s run in the Ultimate Fighting Championship thus far, and the soon-to-be 35-year-old may be running out of time to revise the talking points that seem to accompany him at every stop.

Cirkunov will try to snap a two-fight losing streak when he confronts Wellington Turman in the UFC Fight Night 202 co-main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The Toronto-based Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt enters the cage in search of his first win in more than two years, a 6-5 promotional record in tow. Cirkunov last competed at UFC Fight Night 193, where he wound up on the wrong side of a split decision against American Top Team’s Krzysztof Jotko on Oct. 2.

As Cirkunov approaches his pivotal pairing with Turman, a look at some of the rivalries that have helped shape his career to this point:

Nikita Krylov

Cirkunov leapfrogged the potent Ukrainian in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s light heavyweight pecking order when he submitted him with a guillotine choke in the first round of their featured UFC 206 prelim on Dec. 10, 2016 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The Xtreme Couture representative brought it to a close 4:38 into Round 1. Krylov was effective with his kicks and traded takedowns with the Canada-based Latvian. After they restarted on their feet, Cirkunov countered a kick with a crushing left hook that sat down “The Miner” and left him vulnerable to the choke. He locked his arms in place, wrenched back on the guillotine and forced the tapout from a capitulating Krylov.

Volkan Oezdemir

The Swiss standout staked his claim as a legitimate contender at 205 pounds when he disposed of the highly regarded Cirkunov with punches in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 109 co-main event on May 28, 2017 at Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm. Oezdemir drew the curtain 28 seconds into Round 1 before a crowd of 12,668 bloodthirsty Swedes. Cirkunov moved forward behind his heavy hands and walked into a sniper shot. Oezdemir circled off the fence and clipped the Latvian behind the ear with a short right hand. Cirkunov fell to the canvas face down and defenseless, as his counterpart blasted him with punches until it was over. His lethality on display once more, it was the sixth sub-minute finish of Oezdemir’s career.

Glover Teixeira

The former Shooto Brazil champion wiped out Cirkunov with punches in the first round of their UFC on ESPN 26 light heavyweight showcase on Dec. 16, 2017 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Teixeira tagged the Latvian’s figurative toe 2:45 into Round 1. The Brazilian navigated some early danger, weathering the efforts of his talented but defensively flawed counterpart. Cirkunov appeared to have the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt rattled, firing off two, three and four punches at a time. Teixeira leaned on his experience, took down the prospect and immediately moved to his back. He set his hooks and threatened with a rear-naked choke before flattening out Cirkunov and smashing away with punches, forcing referee Dan Miragliotta to intervene.

Jimmy Crute

Cirkunov submitted the former Hex Fight Series titleholder with a Peruvian necktie in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 158 light heavyweight feature on Sept. 14, 2019 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. Crute conceded defeat 3:38 into Round 1, as the promising Aussie was beaten for the first time in his 11-fight career. Cirkunov was the aggressor from the start, landed a takedown inside the first 30 seconds, applied his ground-and-pound from the crucifix position and eventually achieved full mount. However, Crute scrambled on top after dodging an armbar and appeared to be on the verge of a hammerfist-induced finish before being swept. Cirkunov caught the choke on the transition, rolled to a mounted position and elicited the tapout.

Ryan Spann

The onetime Legacy Fighting Alliance champion brought down Cirkunov with punches in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 187 co-headliner on March 13, 2021 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. “Superman” slammed the door 71 seconds into Round 2. Spann recovered from an accidental low blow, dropped the Canada-based Latvian with a straight right hand and pounced with follow-up punches. He then allowed Cirkunov to stand on unsteady legs, clipped him with a left hook and trailed him to the canvas a second time, unleashing a hellish barrage of rapid-fire hammerfists to prompt the stoppage.