A pair of UFC heavyweights in desperate need of a win will collide in January.
MMA Junkie was the first to report the news that Greg Hardy will fight Aleksei Oleinik on January 22 at UFC 270, the first pay-per-view of 2022. A source close to the situation subsequently confirmed the fight to Cageside Press.
Hardy (7-4-1) is on the first two-fight losing streak of his career, in which he was stopped twice. Last December, he was finshed by Marcin Tybura via TKO, and most recently, he was knocked out at UFC 264 by Tai Tuivasa. A third loss in a row could be the end of Hardy’s UFC run.
Oleinik (59-16-1) also really needs a win. The Russian is currently riding a three-fight skid, the first of his 76 fight career. Oleinik started his 2020 on a two-fight streak finishing Maurice Greene and then defeating former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum; he would end his 2020 getting knocked out by Derrick Lewis. Most recently, he lost a unanimous decision to Sergey Spivak, which knocked him out of the heavyweight top 15 rankings.
No main event, location, venue, or broadcast plan has been announced for UFC 270. Only one other fight has been announced to date.
The UFC 270 fight card looks like this so far:
- Jarred Cannonier vs. Derek Brunson
- Greg Hardy vs. Aleksei Oleinik
