Athletes
Michal Oleksiejczuk Found His Stride
Poland’s Michal Oleksiejczuk Hopes To Secure A Third Win In A Row At UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira
A little more than seven years ago, Michal Oleksiejczuk made his UFC debut as a 22-year-old riding a 9-fight winning streak into a matchup with future title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 219. Reaching the highest level of the sport at such an age is impressive, but sticking around is a bigger challenge than most realize at first. Since that bout, Oleksiejczuk amassed a 9-7 record with one No Contest. Inconsistency hampered the now 30-year-old, but three consecutive losses in 2024 prompted him to move his camp to Brazil and the Fighting Nerds.
The change paid off in a big way. Oleksiejczuk scored two first-round knockouts over Sedriques Dumas and Gerald Meerschaert — eight of his nine wins in the Octagon came via first-round knockouts — and believes he is coming into his prime ahead of his February 7 bout against Marc-Andre Barriault.
“My experience is big, and this gives me a lot of peace,” Oleksiejczuk told UFC.com. “Now, I am calm, and I think that UFC gave me an opportunity for better life, for a good career. I think that I am different person because I learned a lot, and now I think that I am ready for big wins and big fights.”
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If Oleksiejczuk gets his hand raised in Las Vegas, he would secure a third win in a row for the first time under the promotional banner officially. While he continues to show off his wicked knack for scoring stoppages in the first frame, he has more confidence than ever in his complete game.
Michal Oleksiejczuk Finishes Alvey In The 1st Round | UFC Fight Night: Santos vs Hill
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Michal Oleksiejczuk Finishes Alvey In The 1st Round | UFC Fight Night: Santos vs Hill
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“In this moment, I am a different fighter,” he said. “My losses, my wins give me a lot of experience. Now, I think that I am complete fighter, and I want to show it in my fight.”
Oleksiejczuk does have an ideal dance partner to display his skills. Barriault is a stand-and-bang type who holds finishes over Julian Marquez and Bruno Silva, as well as a decision win over Eryk Anders. However, he lost four of his last five bouts, including two first-round knockout losses to Joe Pyfer and Dustin Stoltzfus.
Naturally, however, Oleksiejczuk isn’t making any assumptions about what is going to go down in the Meta APEX other than putting on an entertaining contest.
“I have big respect for (Barriault) because he has a lot of very good fights,” Oleksiejczuk said. “My opponent, never, never surrenders. Never stops. Always (wants) to go forward. I am happy because my style is exciting. My opponent has exciting style. I think that this fight will be interesting for fans.”
UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira is also a special night for Oleksiejczuk, as he is one of three Polish fighters competing on February 7. Bantamweights Klaudia Sygula and Jakub Wiklacz will also make the walk, although their Octagon experience is microscopic compared with Oleksiejczuk. Regardless, they each hope to continue the great tradition of Polish fighters in the Octagon from champions like Jan Błachowicz and Joanna Jędrzejczyk to perennial contenders like Mateusz Gamrot and Marcin Tybura.
Oleksiejczuk is well on his way. Seven-plus years in the Octagon is respectable in and of itself, but if he continues to improve and make the most of his prime, Oleksiejczuk could find himself in a major middleweight matchup later in 2026.
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“I am a patriot; I love my country,” Oleksiejczuk said. “I think that I am good ambassador in my country. Because in all my fights, I show my flag… This is a great time for me and great time for Polish MMA.”
UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira took place live from Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 7, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!