UFC officials on Thursday confirmed Mark Hunt will headline the promotion’s first trip to Moscow.
Ukranian Aleksei Oleinik was originally expected to face former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum in the UFC Fight Night 136 main event on Sept. 15 at Olympic Stadium, but that all changed when Werdum was flagged for a potential UFC Anti-Doping Policy violation
With Werdum out of the picture while his case is being adjudicated by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, matchmakers turned to Hunt, who is coming off of a loss to fast-rising contender Curtis Blaydes.
Oleinik (56-11-1) also has a recent loss to Blaydes on his record, but rebounded at UFC 224 in May with a rare Ezekiel choke submission of Junior Albini.
At 41 years of age and with a 5-2 record in the Octagon, Oleinik will be looking for a win over the 43-year-old Hunt to help move him closer to title contention.
“If I do not fall under Hunt’s cannon, then it will be difficult for him to extricate himself from my arms,” Oleinik predicted of his upcoming bout.
“I’m so happy to be a part of Russian MMA history by headlining the first UFC event in Russia. The fans can expect a legendary event, a legendary name, and legendary quality of fights in Moscow – and they will get it!”
This article first appeared at News – MMAWeekly.com
