UFC Fight Night: Nick Klein vs Joe Kropschot Preview & Prediction
by Owen Liao ·
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Two Contender Series graduates meet at middleweight, as winless Nick Klein looks to stop the bleeding against LFA champion Joe Kropschot on his UFC debut.
Nick Klein vs Joe Kropschot facts
What time are Nick Klein and Joe Kropschot expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Nolan? Meta Apex, Enterprise, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Nolan? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 292
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Nolan on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Nolan? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Nolan main card
Renato Moicano vs Tom Nolan (Lightweight)
Randy Brown vs Jacobe Smith (Welterweight)
Ode Osbourne vs Cody Durden (Flyweight)
Yana Santos vs Luana Santos (Women’s Bantamweight)
Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani vs Farman Hasanov (Welterweight)
UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Nolan prelims
Francis Marshall vs Dakota Hope (Featherweight)
Rodrigo Sezinando vs Theodor Berggren (Welterweight)
Julian Erosa vs Lee Jeong-yeong (Featherweight)
Zachary Reese vs Mickey Gall (Middleweight)
Nick Klein vs Joseph Kropschot (Middleweight)
Talita Alencar vs Piera Rodriguez (Women’s Strawweight)
Lucia Szabova vs Tainara Lisboa (Women’s Bantamweight)
Nick Klein: Fast starting wrestler fighting for his UFC spot
Nick Klein (6-3) earned his UFC contract in viral fashion, choking out Heraldo Souza just 37 seconds into his Contender Series bout. Since then, it’s been rough. He’s 0-2 in the octagon, stopped in the second round by both Mansur Abdul-Malik and Andrey Pulyaev, and hasn’t fought in over a year. Klein is a wrestler first, masking explosive level changes behind a stiff jab and dragging opponents into tiring scrambles where he takes the back fast. All three of his submissions are rear-naked chokes. He starts quickly, with four first-round finishes, but he walks forward in straight lines and absorbs shots easily. His durability is a concern.
Joe Kropschot: LFA champion and submission specialist makes his debut
Joe Kropschot (9-3) arrives as the reigning LFA middleweight champion, having choked out David Allakhverdiev in the second round as a sizeable underdog in February. He then earned his contract on the Contender Series in August, outpointing Jon Kunneman with 119 significant strikes. A dangerous submission grappler, he fights at a relentless pace, chaining positional transitions and dragging opponents into deep waters. Once he settles into a dominant position, he’s incredibly hard to escape, and the rear-naked choke is his weapon of choice. All three of his career losses came by finish during a skid in 2021 but he’s won five in a row since.
Nick Klein vs Joe Kropschot prediction
Klein’s path to victory is narrow. His gas tank is poor, and his best chance is to hit an explosive level change early and find the rear-naked choke in the first five minutes. The problem is that grappling is exactly where Kropschot lives. Scrambling with a submission specialist is a dangerous game, and Klein is far more likely to give up his back than take Kropschot’s.
Kropschot simply has more options. On the feet, he’s the better boxer, and his high-volume straight combinations, used to overwhelm the guard and mask his clinch entries, should cause problems for a fighter who absorbs as much as Klein does walking forward. He’s also the longer man, with two inches on Klein in both height and reach. Kropschot has the tools to win in all three realms, and could even find a finish on the feet through sheer volume.
The deciding factor is the gas tank. Kropschot can keep the pace up for all three rounds, and Klein can’t. Both of Klein’s UFC losses came in the second round, and that’s exactly where this one should end. As soon as Klein starts to fade, expect Kropschot to finish it there. I see Kropschot as an absolute lock here.
Prediction: Joe Kropschot to win in round two
Upcoming Events
Randy Brown vs Jacobe Smith (UFC Fight Night 292)
Renato Moicano vs Tom Nolan (UFC Fight Night 292)
Lucia Szabova vs Tainara Lisboa (UFC Fight Night 292)
Talita Alencar vs Piera Rodriguez (UFC Fight Night 292)
Nick Klein vs Joe Kropschot (UFC Fight Night 292)
Zachary Reese vs Mickey Gall (UFC Fight Night 292)
Ode Osbourne vs Cody Durden (UFC Fight Night 292)
Yana Santos vs Luana Santos (UFC Fight Night 292)
