CHICAGO, Ill. (August 12, 2010) – Bellator Fighting Championships officially announced today that Russian heavyweight Alexey Oleinik is the latest and final addition to the Bellator Season 3 World Heavyweight Tournament. The Judo black belt is not only one of the most respected fighters in Russia, but also one of the most dangerous heavyweight submission specialists in the sport. Oleinik brings a phenomenal 27-5-1 record to the tournament with 23 of those 27 victories coming via submission.
“Alexey Oleinik is a great final addition to this stacked heavyweight tournament,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He’s one of the most threatening and versatile heavyweights in the sport with extremely dangerous submission skills, which makes him a legitimate threat to anyone he faces in the heavyweight division.”
The 33 year old was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine but currently fights out of Moscow. He trains out of Red Devil Sports Club and is a Master of Sports in Sambo. Oleinik is known and feared for the rare Ezekiel Choke finish which he has used successfully on six of his previous opponents.
Oleinik met fellow heavyweight tournament participant Rogent Lloret last August where the two fought to a draw, setting up a potentially interesting rematch opportunity in Bellator Season 3. Oleinik holds impressive victories over the likes of Jessie Gibbs and Thiago “Big Monster” Santos.
Oleinik is the eight confirmed participant in the forthcoming Season 3 Heavyweight World Tournament along with undefeated European sensation Damian “The Polish Pitbull” Grabowski, Seattle-area knockout artist Mike “300″ Hayes, Georgia-based ground and pound specialist Scott Barrett, British-based power-puncher Neil Grove, Spanish submission ace Rogent Lloret, two-time NCAA wrestling champion Cole Konrad, and heavy handed Alexey UFC veteran Eddie Sanchez
The Bellator Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament kicks off on Aug. 12th and can be viewed LIVE on Fox Sports Net.
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.
About Bellator Fighting Championships
Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago. Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.