Cezary Oleksiejczuk is stepping into UFC Vegas 112 with momentum and something to prove, drawing dangerous striker César Almeida in a matchup that could elevate his rise in the middleweight division.
“My opponent has good striking, very good I think. Legendary striking. I need to keep good distance, and this is good fight for me,” Oleksiejczuk told reporters on Wednesday.
“Almedia high in the top and if I win this fight, I (rise) in (the) rankings.”
Oleksiejczuk (16-3) may have less UFC experience than Almeida, but oddsmakers still have him pegged as the favorite. He isn’t entirely sure why, but he’ll gladly take the vote of confidence.
“Maybe I know I have 100 fights in amateur fights. A lot (of) experience in MMA,” he said.
“I need to go to second, maybe third round, and Almeida (doesn’t) like fighting second and third round. I think good idea for (me to) win.”
Looking ahead to his UFC debut, Oleksiejczuk broke down the matchup with a simple but confident read on where he believes the fight tilts in his favor. He also pointed to his comfort inside the UFC APEX, a venue he feels already familiar with thanks to his brother’s battles there.
“I like this place (UFC APEX) because a lot of time in here because my brother (Michal) (have) a lot of wars in here. I think this is for me the best place for debut,” he said.
Cezary Oleksiejczuk faces Cesar Almeida at UFC Vegas 112 on Saturday night.
