Aleksei Oleinik keeps finding ways to get the job done.
At UFC 273 on Saturday, the Russian heavyweight picked up another victory, but this time it was a major milestone in his career. Oleinik (60-16-1 MMA, 9-7 UFC) secured victory number 60 by tapping Jared Vanderaa (12-8 MMA, 1-4 UFC) with a neck crank, snapping a three-fight skid, and notching his seventh submission win in the UFC.
“This was very important for me,” Oleinik told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the post-fight news conference. “This most important for me because you know I’m not too young (of a) guy and I still fight in (the) best promotion with the best of the best fighters in the world, and I still win.”
Oleinik, 44, hopes that his performances at his age will inspire others to excel in their own careers and help them get over their own personal hurdles. But did he think he would be going this strong at this point in his career?
“No, absolutely not,” Oleinik said. “I did not expect this, because I don’t know what I will do in maybe two, three years.”
Oleinik joked during his post-fight interview in the cage with Joe Rogan that he could be fighting for another 5-10 years. With a number of memorable moments under his belt since the beginning of his professional career in 1996, he will take whatever comes his way next.
Check out the full post-fight interview with Oleinik in the video above.
Now with 60 wins, Aleksei Oleinik admits he didn’t expect to have so much UFC success at age 44