Why UFC 280 broadcast didn't show Ukrainian flag beside Nikita Krylov's name?

Ukrainian fighter Nikita Krylov snagged a victory against Volkan Oezdemir in a preliminary bout at UFC 280.

However, it was noticeable that the Ukrainian flag wasn't shown beside Krylov's name during the event's broadcast. So why was that the case?

This isn't the first time Krylov has shied away from associating himself with the Ukrainian banner. Earlier this year, Krylov fought the returning Alexander Gustafsson at UFC London. He was also flagless.

See the tweet below:

After the event, UFC president Dana White revealed that Krylov asked not to have the Ukrainian flag printed on his fight shorts and flown during his walkout. Krylov also explained in an interview with the Russian channel Match TV (via RT Sport) why he was reluctant to comment on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

“Even if it were interesting for me to develop [this topic], I understand that there will be people with a different opinion, and there will always be an opposite side, and this will cause a lot of negativity. Why make people feel negative?

See Nikita Krylov's post below:

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"I feel that I am Russian" - Nikita Krylov on his harrowing childhood in Ukraine state

UFC fans are probably wondering why Nikita Krylov has remained silent on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. After all, Ukrainian boxers like Vasiliy and Wladimir Lomachenko, Oleksandr Usyk, and UFC fighter Maryna Moroz have all been passionate about condemning Vladimir Putin's move to invade their country.

What many people may not know is that Krylov grew up in Donbas – a pro-Russian separatist state in Ukraine. In 2014, armed separatist groups seized government buildings throughout the Donbas, leading to armed conflict with Ukrainian government forces. Krylov bore witness to the horrors of the civil war in his region.

"I feel that I am Russian," Krylov said in a 2016 interview with Bloody Elbow. "We used to live on our land, but after events in Maidan in Kiev, they started calling us terrorists and separatists."

While training in Kyiv, Krylov wore a uniform bearing the Russian flag, despite the tension between the countries. This led to the fighter being shunned from his gym, after his teammates called for action to be taken against him.

Feeling that he's no longer welcome in his home and that his family could face security risks, Krylov relocated to Moscow shortly thereafter.