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Aleksei Oleinik (aka Oleksiy Oliynyk) suffered a vicious knockout defeat against fellow UFC veteran on Friday (May 26). Their fight marked Oleinik's return to professional MMA competition after he had retired from the sport late last year.
In his MMA comeback matchup, which was also his first bout since his UFC departure, Oleinik (60-17-1 MMA) faced fellow former UFC fighter Oli Thompson (21-16 MMA). The Oleinik-Thompson heavyweight matchup served as the headlining fight of the REN TV Fight Club event at the Dynamo Volleyball Arena in Moscow, Russia.
The fight witnessed the hulking Thompson secure a spectacular first-round knockout win. 'The Spartan' landed a thunderous right hand that sent Oleinik crashing to the mat. 'The Boa Constrictor' was knocked out instantly without follow-up ground strikes.
Watch the incredible KO in the video below:
Aleksei Oleinik's last UFC fight took place in October 2022 at the UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan event. 'The Boa Constrictor' faced Ilir Latifi at the event and was beaten via unanimous decision.
Following his loss to Latifi, Oleinik was released from the UFC and was believed to have retired from the MMA. However, as noted, the 45-year-old Russian grappling wizard returned to the MMA realm and faced Oli Thompson.
Meanwhile, the 43-year-old Thompson was on a four-fight losing streak heading into his fight against Oleinik. The UK strongman and MMA stalwart was coming off a third-round TKO loss against Adam Wieczorek, whom he fought at MMA Attack 4 in September 2022. Regardless, 'The Spartan' returned to the win column by beating Oleinik.
When UFC heavyweight vet Aleksei Oleinik shed light on why he ended his MMA retirement
Although many believed Aleksei Oleinik was done with his professional MMA career after his final UFC fight last October, the veteran fighter recently surprised many by announcing his return against Thompson.
Ahead of his fight against 'The Spartan,' Oleinik took to social media and alluded to the long-running criticism of low fighter pay in the UFC.
The UFC is regarded as the world's premier MMA organization. Nevertheless, many former UFC athletes have lamented that most fighters in the organization don't receive a fair wage.
Aleksei Oleinik said that Ren TV had offered him a better deal than the UFC did, which was one of the primary reasons he chose to unretire.
Furthermore, Oleinik suggested that he reevaluated his MMA career and discovered that he was still capable of competing in the sport. 'The Boa Constrictor' said:
"I decided to end my career. ... Then, I looked into the powder flask and saw a lot of unused gunpowder there. So, finish early! Yes, and the conditions of REN TV were offered very worthy, better than the UFC. The next fight on REN TV on May 26, we are waiting for everyone. (The) show must go on."
