Miami — Polish middleweight Michal Oleksiejczuk snapped a three-fight skid with a TKO finish of Sedriques “SD” Dumas on the preliminary card of UFC 314 on Saturday.
The fight saw a big move pay off for Oleksiejczuk (20-9, 1NC), as he had joined one of Brazil’s hottest fight camps, Fighting Nerds, in preparation for the bout.
“This is my first preparation in Fighting Nerds, and I’m a better fighter. Now I am ready for big fights,” Oleksiejczuk told media outlets including Cageside Press following his win. “My striking, wrestling, and grappling is better than last fight. And I am ready for the next fight.
“Camp in Fighting Nerds was very hard for me,” noted Oleksiejczuk, adding that he made the trip to Brazil to prepare outside of Poland for the first time. “It was very not comfortable for me, but a very good choice. I showed it tonight.”
Now, Brazil is Oleksiejczeuk’s second home, and he plans to head back there for a few months following the bout. He’ll also continue training with Fighting Nerds. “This is progress for me,” he stated, thanking team’s coaches, including Caio Borralho. In a twist, Borralho is a former opponent who defeated the Pole in 2023.
Asked whether he was feeling at all under the gun ahead of UFC 314, and whether coming in off three losses had changed his game plan, Michal Oleksiejczuk explained that real fighters don’t feel pressure.
“I don’t feel pressure because I am real fighter. It’s not important for me, lose or win. I fight with everybody,” he stated. “Mick Maynard called me, he said he wanted my fight at the event and I said ‘let’s go, let’s go.’ I am [a] warrior. My last two fights were short notice, and this is no problem for me. I want to be the best, because I go to Brazil and train with Caio Barralho and all the best guys with this club. And then that’s all. I am [a] warrior.”
Watch Michal Oleksiejczuk’s full UFC 314 post-fight media appearance above.
