Aleksei Oleinik, a former UFC heavyweight, had a rough start in his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) debut.
With an extensive career of over 80 fights in mixed martial arts, Oleinik has competed globally across various disciplines. BKFC marked his latest venture into combat sports.
Renowned for his expertise in submissions, Oleinik participated in 17 UFC heavyweight bouts, maintaining a winning record before his departure in 2022. Notably, he secured three victories by neck crank and two by Ezekiel Choke in the UFC, remarkable achievements for a heavyweight.
However, Oleinik`s grappling skills were ineffective in his bare-knuckle boxing debut against Gerônimo dos Santos, a seasoned fighter with 72 fights, at BKFC 71 in Dubai.
Aleksei Oleinik Knocked Out in BKFC Debut
On Friday, the 47-year-old Oleinik entered the BKFC ring for the first time, in a match that could potentially be his last. Dos Santos overwhelmed him in the first round.
With just over 20 seconds remaining in the round, dos Santos landed a powerful overhand right that connected squarely with Oleinik`s chin.
Despite having absorbed significant blows throughout his MMA career from heavy hitters like Derrick Lewis and Alistair Overeem, this bare-knuckle punch knocked Oleinik unconscious. He fell to the canvas, eyes closed and face up.
Aleksei Oleinik’s Future in Fighting
Despite this setback, Oleinik, the UFC veteran, indicates that he feels compelled to continue fighting.
Following a divorce he did not desire, Oleinik expressed the stark realities of his situation and his anticipated fighting timeline to Sport24 before the fight (via Matysek88).
“I have 2-3 fights left,” Oleinik stated.
“Physically, I am reaching my limit. My desire to fight is waning, and my body is protesting.”
“My mental reserves are also depleted. I no longer wish to fight. If I continue solely for financial gain, I risk diminishing returns, eventually fighting for meager sums. I want to avoid gradually selling off my health for increasingly smaller paychecks, a path many fighters have taken. I am being forced into this situation,” Oleinik admitted.
