UFC Fight Night 44: Matches To Make For The Winners

Oleksiy Oliynyk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ao9sdd8g-k First of all, congratulations to Oleksiy Oliynyk on a successful UFC debut. How badass is it when a fighter with over fifty professional fights (he now sits at 49-9-1) makes his UFC debut at age 37, and wins? "The Boa Constrictor" went so far to say that the UFC wasn't even on his radar til recent years! He was, you know, just doing his thing, winning almost 50 fights mostly in eastern Europe and competing in one-night tourneys there. Well, a win over Mirko Cro-Cop with the same neck crank he used to submit Anthony Hamilton in his UFC debut got him into the big show, and now it's time for a step up. Oliynyk was originally scheduled to face Jared Rosholt in his debut, back in December, but that match had to be scrapped. Both fighters are coming off wins from this past weekend - Rosholt down in enemy territory in New Zealand over Soa Palelei - so I say go back to the original plan and match them up. It will be interesting to see how much time Rosholt would want to spend on the ground with a submission specialist like the Boa Constrictor. Would Oliynyk's submission skills negate Rosholt's best weapon, his wresting? Would it force a stand-up battle? Or is Rosholt too blanketing even for a vet like Oleksiy? Lets find out.