Michal Oleksiejczuk Hunting For Biggest Win To Date

Debuting on the penultimate day of 2017, the 29-year-old Polish fighter’s time on the big stage began in earnest in 2019, when he posted back-to-back rapid finishes of Gian Villante and Gadzhimurad Antigulov to establish himself as a young talent to watch in the light heavyweight division. But a start like that often leads to accelerated pushes for those showing promise, and Oleksiejczuk was no different, as his third fight of the year came against divisional stalwart Ovince Saint Preux, who wisely played to his strengths, took him down, and forced him to tap to a Von Preux choke.

A second straight submission loss followed, then two more wins before a unanimous decision loss to Dustin Jacoby prompted Oleksiejczuk to drop down a division. More naturally suited to compete in the middleweight ranks, things began smoothly for the southpaw, as his tenure at 185 pounds began similarly to his first push at light heavyweight — with a pair of impressive, rapid stoppage wins.

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But the pattern from his previous division has since followed him to middleweight, as well, as Oleksiejczuk has since sandwiched a win over Chidi Njokuani between submission defeats at the hands of Caio Borralho and Michel Pereira heading into his UFC 302 showdown with Kevin Holland on Saturday.

“Borralho and Pereira are top fighters in my category,” began Oleksiejczuk when asked about the lessons learned from his first two middleweight setbacks ahead of his return to action on Saturday. “I made a few mistakes, but I believe that one day I will become UFC champion.

His clash with the streaking Pereira at UFC 299 lasted all of 61 seconds, with the dominating Brazilian punishing Oleksiejczuk to the body with kicks, punches, and knees before wrapping his forearm under the neck and putting him to sleep.

It’s the type of contest that invariably leaves a sour taste in the mouth of the athlete, having spent the previous number of weeks pushing hard in the gym, dialing in their diet, and committing all their focus to achieving a positive result, only to have things go sideways in a matter of seconds and end in a minute.

“The fight with Pereira was a difficult experience for me,” acknowledged Oleksiejczuk, who fell to 7-5 with one no contest inside the Octagon as a result of the defeat. “I had a great training camp and it's a pity that I didn't show a good fight. But I don't give up and I still believe in myself.

“After a defeat, I always want to win at all costs, and on Saturday, it will show in the fight.”

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If there is a silver lining to a rapid loss like the one he incurred in March, it’s that there wasn’t time for Oleksiejczuk to really suffer any injuries, which has allowed him to make a relatively expedited return to action this weekend, when he’ll welcome Holland back to the middleweight ranks.

The 31-year-old Holland broke out in a big way during the 2020 pandemic campaign, winning five fights in eight months to earn a spot in the rankings and position himself as a contender on the rise in a division always in need of fresh, ascending names.