Alexey Oleinik

Grappling career During his training camp with K-Dojo Warrior Tribe in April 2011, Oleinik participated in two Grappling tournaments, he won the Absolute division in an Eddie Alvarez hosted grappling tournament, and also won the Men's black belt No-Gi Advanced Super weight (210 lbs and over) division in the Grapplers Quest "Beast of the East 2011" tournament.

Oleinik made his return to grappling in a superfight against multiple-time World Champion Gordon Ryan on December 12, 2019 at Quintet: Ultra. He lost the match quickly by kneebar.

Mixed martial arts career Oleinik originally started MMA to prove himself to be strong. “I just wanted to prove to myself and others that I could be strong, to protect yourself and others. Then, it turned out that I do it very well, and became my profession.”

Oleinik represented Russia for the Imperial Team in the M-1 Challenge 2009 season, where he defeated Sang Soo Lee. Alexey has highly regarded submission grappling skills which he developed from his background in training in traditional Japanese jujutsu and competition in Combat Sambo. He fought Robin Gracie trained Spanish BJJ black belt Rogent Lloret in a fight that ended in a draw. After his loss to Chris Tuchscherer he went 12 fights without a loss. That streak came to a halt when he lost via TKO in the first round against Michal Kita at the ProFC Heavyweight Grand Prix 2009.

Bellator MMA In the summer of 2010, under the tutelage of K-Dojo Head Coach Murat Keshtov, Oleinik participated in the inaugural heavyweight tournament for Bellator Fighting Championships. He faced Mike Hayes in the opening round and won the match via a split decision.

In his next bout, he was stopped in the semi-finals by Neil Grove. He lost via TKO, the referee stopped the fight at 0:45 of the opening round.

Ultimate Fighting Championship 2014 In November 2013 Oleinik announced that he signed a contract with the UFC, and was expected to face Jared Rosholt on January 25, 2014, at UFC on Fox 10. However, Oleinik was forced out of the bout with an injury and Rosholt was pulled from the card altogether.

In his debut, Oleinik faced fellow newcomer Anthony Hamilton on June 28, 2014, at UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Stephens. He won the fight via scarf hold headlock submission early in the first round.

The rescheduled bout with Jared Rosholt took place on November 22, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 57. Oleinik won the fight via knockout in the first round. The win also earned Oleinik his first Performance of the Night bonus award.

2015 In an interview on September 9, 2015, Oleinik indicated that he had been sidelined by multiple knee surgeries and subsequent rehabilitation. Oleinik said he has no intention of retiring and expects a possible return sometime in the middle of 2016.

2016 Oleinik next faced Daniel Omielańczuk on July 13, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 91. He lost the fight via majority decision.

2017 Oleinik next faced Viktor Pešta on January 15, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 103. He won the fight in the first round via Ezekiel choke, the first in UFC history and was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus. In unbelievable circumstances, it was executed while in Pešta's "full mount" position, where it is very rarely seen executed without the usage of a 'gi. However, the Ezekiel choke technique was not new to Oleinik, who had already won 12 fights by the same submission earlier in his career.

Oleinik faced Travis Browne on July 8, 2017, at UFC 213. He dropped Browne with a right hook in the first round and showed his superior grappling when he won the fight via submission, due to a rear-naked choke (with a modified grip and without a complete full back mount) in the second round.

Oleinik faced Curtis Blaydes on November 4, 2017, at UFC 217. The referee stopped the fight in the second round after Blaydes delivered an illegal kick to a downed opponent and called a doctor to check on Oleinik. The fight was stopped due to the doctor's advice. The replay, however, showed the strike did not deliver significant damage (as it only grazed the ear), and the fight was ruled a TKO win for Blaydes.

2018 Oleinik faced Júnior Albini on May 12, 2018, at UFC 224. He won the fight in the first round via Ezekiel choke, marking his second win via this rare choke in the UFC. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Oleinik was briefly linked to a bout with Fabrício Werdum on September 15, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 136. However, on May 22, Werdum was flagged for a potential USADA doping violation, and was later suspended for 2 years. Oleinik instead faced Mark Hunt on the card. He won the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the first round. This marked Oleinik's 45th submission win in his MMA career. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

2019 Oleinik was expected to face Walt Harris on May 4, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 150. On April 3, 2019 news surfaced that he was withdrawn from the bout in order to headline UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Overeem against Alistair Overeem after Alexander Volkov had to withdraw.

Oleinik faced Alistair Overeem on 20 April 2019 at UFC Fight Night 149, replacing Alexander Volkov.

The bout between Oleinik and Walt Harris rescheduled for July 20, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 4. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.

2020 Oleinik faced Maurice Greene on January 18, 2020, at UFC 246. He won the fight via a submission in the second round. This win earned him a Performance of the Night award. As a result, Oleinik became the first in history both to compete and secure a victory in an MMA fight across four different decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s).

Oleinik was scheduled to face Fabrício Werdum on May 9, 2020, at UFC 250. However, on April 9, Dana White, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed and the bout eventually took place on May 9, 2020 at UFC 249. Oleinik won the fight by split decision.

When he announced he was taking another fight, Oleinik "received a message in a bottle" on the beach of Miami, signed his contract, and sent it back to Dana White and Mick Maynard. When asked if Oleinik planned on retiring any time soon, he jokingly responded that he has "only 10 years left." He lost the fight via technical knockout in round two.

2021 Oleinik faced Chris Daukaus on February 20, 2021, at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis. He lost the fight via technical knockout in round one.

Oleinik faced Serghei Spivac on June 19, 2021, at UFC on ESPN 25. He lost the bout via unanimous decision.

2022 Oleinik was scheduled to face Greg Hardy on January 22, 2022, at UFC 270. However, Oleinik withdrew from the event for undisclosed reasons and he was replaced by Sergey Spivak.

Oleinik was scheduled to face Ilir Latifi on March 26, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 205. However, the day of the event, Latifi withdrew due to illness and the bout was cancelled. The pair was rescheduled to meet on two weeks later at UFC 273 on April 9, 2022. In turn, Latifi withdrew again for unknown reasons and was replaced by Jared Vanderaa. He won the bout via scarf hold submission in the first round. The win also earned him the Performance of the Night award.

The match with Ilir Latifi was yet to rescheduled again for UFC Fight Night 211 on October 1, 2022. Oleinik lost the bout via unanimous decision.

On October 10, 2022, it was announced that Oleinik was a free agent after completing his UFC contract.

Post UFC Oleinik faced Oli Thompson at REN TV Fight Club: Oleinik vs. Thompson on May 26, 2023, and lost via knock out in the first round.

On December 11, 2024, it was announced that Oleninik was signed by Global Fight League. However, events for this organization never materialized.

In June 2026, Oleinik announced he would have his final mixed martial arts fight on July 11, 2026. He faced Antonio Zovak at Open FC 67 and won via his patented Ezekiel choke submission in the first round.

Bare-knuckle boxing Oleinik made his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship debut against Gerônimo dos Santos on April 4, 2025 at BKFC 71 Dubai: Day 1. He lost the fight by knockout late into the first round.

Personal life Oleinik and his ex-wife have 5 children. He and his family moved to Florida in December 2016. The eldest, Polina, attended Stoneman Douglas High School, and was present at the school during the mass shooting but was unharmed. As of March 2025, Oleinik is divorced and stated that his ex-wife took everything including his kids and property after the divorce.

He is a naturalised Russian citizen, and expressed support towards Russia following its 2014 military intervention in Ukraine. He wore a shirt with Putin's face and as a result was denied entry into Ukraine.

Championships and accomplishments Mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship Performance of the Night (Six times) Third most submission attempts in UFC Heavyweight division history (15) & Half-Year Awards: Best Submission of the 1HY 2018: Ranked #4 Submission of the Year Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki 2007 KSW 8 Heavyweight Tournament Winner M-1 Global 2004 Middleweight Russia Cup Tournament Winner ProFC 2008 ProFC 4 President's Cup Heavyweight Tournament Winner 2008 ProFC 3 Heavyweight Grand Prix Runner-Up International Absolute Fighting Council 2006 Russia Cup Light heavyweight Tournament Winner 2009 Mayor's Cup Heavyweight Tournament Winner Perm Region MMA Federation 2007 Professional MMA Cup Heavyweight Tournament Winner Other tournaments 2007 Yaroslavl Open Championship Heavyweight Tournament Winner 1996 Minamoto Cup Heavyweight Tournament Winner World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts WCMMA Heavyweight Championship (One time; first; last) MMA Mania 2017 Submission of the Year (Top 5: #2) vs. Viktor Pešta MMA Weekly 2018 Submission of the Year vs. Júnior Albini Bleacher Report 2018 Submission of the Year MMA Junkie 2017 #4 Ranked Submission of the Year

Combat sambo World Combat Sambo Federation World Combat Sambo Champion (2005) Eurasian Combat Sambo Champion (2001)

Mixed martial arts record Win

Antonio Zovak Submission (Ezekiel choke) Open FC 67

Moscow, Russia Win

Fernando Rodrigues Jr. Submission (arm-triangle choke) RCC 17

Yekaterinburg, Russia Loss

Oli Thompson KO (punch) REN TV Fight Club: Oleinik vs. Thompson

Moscow, Russia Loss

Ilir Latifi Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Jared Vanderaa Submission (scarf hold) UFC 273

Jacksonville, Florida, United States Loss

Serghei Spivac Decision (unanimous) UFC on ESPN: The Korean Zombie vs. Ige

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Chris Daukaus TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Derrick Lewis TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Oleinik

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Fabrício Werdum Decision (split) UFC 249

Jacksonville, Florida, United States Win

Maurice Greene Submission (armbar) UFC 246

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Walt Harris KO (knee and punches) UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Edwards

San Antonio, Texas, United States Loss

Alistair Overeem TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Oleinik

Saint Petersburg, Russia Win

Mark Hunt Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Oleinik

Moscow, Russia Win

Júnior Albini Submission (Ezekiel choke) UFC 224

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Loss

Curtis Blaydes TKO (doctor stoppage) UFC 217

New York City, New York, United States Win

Travis Browne Submission (neck crank) UFC 213

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Viktor Pešta Submission (ezekiel choke) UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Penn

Phoenix, Arizona, United States Loss

Daniel Omielańczuk Decision (majority) UFC Fight Night: McDonald vs. Lineker

Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States Win

Jared Rosholt KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Swanson

Austin, Texas, United States Win

Anthony Hamilton Submission (scarf hold) UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Stephens

San Antonio, Texas, United States Win

Mirko Cro Cop Submission (scarf hold) Legend Fight Show 2

Moscow, Russia Win

Dion Staring Submission (arm-triangle choke) ProFC 50

Rostov, Russia Win

Jeff Monson Submission (rear-naked choke) Oplot Challenge 54

Kharkiv, Ukraine Win

Tony Lopez Submission (triangle choke) Oplot Challenge 53

Kharkiv, Ukraine Win

Leo Pla TKO (punches) Oplot Challenge 43

Kharkiv, Ukraine Win

Martin Hudey Submission (rear-naked choke) Oplot Challenge 12

Kharkiv, Ukraine Win

Mike Stewart Submission (Ezekiel choke) WCMMA 1

Ledyard, Connecticut, United States Win

Jerry Otto Submission (ezekiel choke) Oplot Challenge 2

Kharkiv, Ukraine Win

Sergey Terezinov Submission (armbar) Oplot Challenge 1

Moscow, Russia Loss

Jeff Monson Decision (split) M-1 Challenge 31

Moscow, Russia Loss

Magomed Malikov TKO (punches) Fight Star: Oleg Taktarov Cup 2011

Anapa, Russia Win

Ernest Kostanyan Submission (rear-naked choke) Razdolie Cup 2011

Moscow, Russia Loss

Neil Grove TKO (punches) Bellator 29

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States Win

Mike Hayes Decision (split) Bellator 26

Kansas City, Missouri, United States Loss

Michał Kita TKO (punches)

Win

Thiago dos Santos Submission (Ezekiel choke)

Win

Eddy Bengtsson TKO (submission to punches)

Draw

Rogent Lloret Draw (unanimous) M-1 Global: Breakthrough

Kansas City, Missouri, United States Win

Lee Sang-soo Submission (Ezekiel choke) M-1 Challenge 12

Tacoma, Washington, United States Win

Jessie Gibbs Submission (ezekiel choke) M-1 Challenge 11

Amstelveen, Netherlands Win

Islam Dadalov TKO (punches)

Win

Abdülhalik Magomedov Submission (heel hook)

Win

Telman Sherifov Submission (guillotine choke)

Win

Oleg Kutepov Submission (inverted armbar)

Win

Magomedbag Agaev Submission (scarf hold)

Loss

Konstantyn Stryzhak TKO (punches)

Win

Makasharip Makasharipov Decision (unanimous)

Win

Alexander Timonov Submission (ezekiel choke) M-1 Challenge 4

Saint Petersburg, Russia Win

Daniel Dowda Decision (unanimous) KSW 9

Warsaw, Poland Loss

Chris Tuchscherer Decision (unanimous)

Win

Sherman Pendergarst Submission (Ezekiel choke)

Win

Gela Getsadze TKO (punches)

Win

Ishkhan Zakharian Submission (armbar)

Win

Andrey Oleinik Submission (heel hook)

Win

Timur Gasanov Submission (ezekiel choke)

Win

Alavutdin Gadzhiyev Submission (ezekiel choke)

Win

Adlan Amagov Submission (ezekiel choke)

Win

Krzysztof Kułak Submission (ezekiel choke)

Win

Karol Bedorf Submission (triangle choke)

Win

Łukasz Woś Submission (rear-naked choke)

Win

Shamil Nurmagomedov Submission (neck crank) Legion Fight 1

Rostov-on-Don, Russia Loss

Chael Sonnen Decision (unanimous) BodogFight: USA vs. Russia 2006

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Win

Ishkhan Zakharian Submission (triangle choke) Legion Fight: Black Sea Cup 2006 (Stage 3)

Anapa, Russia Win

Vladimir Rudakov Submission (triangle choke)

Win

Magomed Sultanakhmedov Submission (Ezekiel choke)

Win

Shavkat Urakov Submission (rear-naked choke)

Loss

Flavio Luiz Moura Technical Submission (rear-naked choke)

Win

Marcelo Alfaya Decision (unanimous)

Win

Azred Telkusheev Submission (heel hook)

Win

Ubaidula Chopolaev Submission (rear-naked choke)

Win

Ramin Tagiev Submission (rear-naked choke)

Win

Igor Bondarenko Submission (rear-naked choke)

Win

Gennadiy Matsigora Submission (triangle choke)

Win

Gennadiy Matsigora Submission (armbar)

Win

Vladimir Malyshev TKO (punches)

Win

Clarence Thatch TKO (submission to punches) International Super Challenge 1998

Kyiv, Ukraine Loss

Leonid Efremov Submission (rear-naked choke)

Win

Igor Akinin Submission (guillotine choke)

Win

Artem Kondratko Submission (rear-naked choke)

Win

Sergey Zalikhvatko TKO (punches)

Win

Alexandr Kruglenko Submission (rear-naked choke)

Professional boxing record

Bare knuckle boxing record Loss

Gerônimo dos Santos KO BKFC 71 Dubai: Day 1

Dubai, United Arab Emirates