Poland’s Cezary Oleksiejczuk was one of seven debuting fighters at UFC Vegas 112, facing off with Cesar Almeida in a middleweight match-up on the evening’s main card.
A former FEN middleweight champ who had gone undefeated for the promotion, Oleksiejczuk had won his way into the UFC on the Contender Series. Almeida was 3-1 in the UFC to date, and had won his last two outings.
The fight opened with Almeida mixing in leg and body kicks. He overextended on a right hand, allowing Oleksiejczuk to duck underneath and secure an easy takedown. Oleksiejczuk settled into side control and briefly worked to isolate an arm before Almeida recovered half guard and eventually full guard. Almeida attempted to create space by pushing off the hips, but Oleksiejczuk stayed heavy on top. Using the cage intelligently, Almeida was able to work back to his feet, though only as the round came to a close.
Round two saw Almeida return to his kicking game, but Oleksiejczuk managed the distance well as the longer fighter, landing straight shots and kicks from range. Each time Almeida loaded up, Oleksiejczuk timed him, scoring another clean takedown. Almeida immediately worked back to his feet, but Oleksiejczuk soon locked in a strong body lock and drove him back down. This time Almeida was grounded away from the cage, yet he showed good awareness by timing a transition and reversing to top position. As a kickboxer, Almeida tried to stand, but lost his balance, allowing Oleksiejczuk to reclaim top control. Oleksiejczuk briefly pinned an arm and landed some solid ground-and-pound before ending the round on top.
Entering the final round, Almeida appeared to need a finish. Oleksiejczuk, seemingly aware of that urgency, quickly shot in for a clean double-leg takedown. A brief stoppage followed after Oleksiejczuk landed an illegal elbow to the groin, but once the fight resumed, he stayed disciplined and returned to the grappling-heavy game plan, grounding Almeida again. Throughout the fight, Almeida showed strong get-up ability along the cage, but Oleksiejczuk consistently smothered him, denying space and momentum. Almeida managed to stand in the closing seconds, only to pull guard for a guillotine attempt that was never close.
Cezary Oleksiejczuk def. Cesar Almeida via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
