Aleksei Oleinik gave Fabricio Werdum a rude welcome back to the octagon Saturday at UFC 249. Oleinik (59-13-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC) produced an surprising, yet very effective, strategy of out-striking the former UFC heavyweight champion for the better part of three rounds to secure a split decision win (28-29, 29-28 and 29-28), despite a late rally from Werdum (23-9-1 MMA, 11-6 UFC). Oleinik attempted to get a jump on Werdum’s cage rust as he landed a hard right in the opening seconds that got some respect from the Brazilian. Oleinik continued to pressure, throwing more powerful strikes than any of his previous UFC fights, and with much success. Werdum really struggled to get his footage, and quickly found himself in survival mode.
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UFC 249 results: Aleksei Oleinik surprises Fabricio Werdum, wins with striking – MMA Junkie