“The new gym is working really well for me; it’s one of the best gyms in Europe, filled with top fighters in many promotions, so I’m doing well,” said Oleksiezcjuk, who has earned three of his four UFC victories inside the distance, showcasing slick boxing and a penchant for body work. “I’ve got a ton of great sparring partners in my division — good wrestlers, good fighters — and I feel like I’ve made huge developments in that camp going into this fight.
“I felt I was not developing anymore, so I decided to change gyms,” he added. “Now, I feel like I’ve had a breakthrough in my career — the new gym, the new weight class.”
Oleksiejczuk’s first opportunity to compete in his new weight class and following the shift to a new gym comes Saturday, when he shares the Octagon with the 52-fight veteran Alvey.
Alvey enters this weekend’s clash with Oleksiejczuk on an eight-fight winless streak that began all the way back in the fall of 2018, but the results don’t tell the complete story.
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While there have been clear setbacks, there have also been a pair of split decision losses — one to Ryan Spann, the other against Wellington Turman — that could have gone Alvey’s way, as well as a couple instances where opponents pulled out at the last minute, only to be replaced by a more dangerous foe. Such was the case in the 36-year-old veteran’s last appearance, where he went from initially facing Ian Heinisch to being paired off with Phil Hawes to facing Brendan Allen in an impromptu light heavyweight bout with five days’ notice.
But Oleksiejczuk isn’t paying any attention to Alvey’s struggles or what his opponent will bring to the Octagon this weekend, opting instead to focus on himself and make the most of this important debut showing in the middleweight division.
