Who are the UFC fighters from Ukraine?
Russia recently launched an attack on Ukraine after months of gathering troops on their borders.
The people of Ukraine have been severely affected by the recent events. There's no doubt that UFC fighters from the country are also feeling the effects of the attack. There are currently four fighters from Ukraine who compete in the UFC. Here, we take a look at them.
Perennial heavyweight contender Aleksei Oleinik has been part of the UFC roster for a considerable amount of time. 'The Boa Constrictor' has an overall professional record of 59-16. The 44-year-old fighter has won a staggering 44 contests via submission in his professional career so far. Oleinik last fought inside the octagon in June 2021 in a unanimous decision loss to Sergey Spivak.
Watch Aleksei Oleinik's top submissions in the UFC below:
Light heavyweight Nikita Krylov is another fighter who belongs to Ukraine. The 29-year-old has a record of 27-8. He holds notable wins over the likes of Ed Herman, Ovince Saint Preux and Johnny Walker. 'The Miner' lost a decision to Magomed Ankalaev in his last fight.
Maryna Moroz is also a Ukrainian national. The 30-year-old competes in the women's flyweight division of the UFC. Moroz has a professional record of 10-3 and has fought eight times in the promotion. She has a fight coming up at UFC 272 next month, where she takes on Mariya Agapova.
Askar Mozharov is the latest addition to the list of Ukrainian fighters in the promotion. He is yet to compete in the UFC. The 27-year-old has a professional record of 21-8. 'No Mercy' is looking to get his first fight booked in the organization.
Fighters across the globe have united in support of Ukraine
Fighters from different disciplines have gathered in a show of support for the Ukrainian people during this time of crisis. Boxing Hall of Famers and former heavyweight champions, the Klitschko brothers, recently voiced powerful messages. Vitali Klitschko serves as the mayor for the city of Kyiv.
Check out the message from the Klitschko brothers as reported in a tweet by talkSPORT's Michael Benson:
Wladimir Klitschko and Vitali Klitschko launch a joint video appeal after Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine by Russia…
[📽️ @Vitaliy_Klychko & @Klitschko] https://t.co/uVG4NqtCff
Current interim UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan has also taken solidarity with the people of Ukrainian descent in this dire time. 'No Mercy' is a fighter of Russian origin.
Furthermore, Georgian UFC fighters Giga Chikadze and Merab Dvalishvili have expressed their support for Ukraine. One can expect more fighters to unite and stand together with the people of the Eastern European country.