Michal Oleksiejczuk is proud to be fighting on the same UFC 267 event as countrymen Jan Blachowicz and Marcin Tybura, a card that some in Poland are calling “The Polish card.” That’s not surprising, because Blachowicz’s journey to the title is one that Oleksiejczuk and many others draw motivation from.
“We are from the same country, so I am on his side,” Oleksiejczuk told UFC.com. “His way to the UFC title is a good example of never giving up and that the day can come. He is a good example for other fighters that you can be a champion after a few losses.”
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Oleksiejczuk knows what it feels like to suffer losses and bounce back from them. The 26-year-old had a no contest in his UFC debut and followed it up with back-to-back wins before suffering two straight losses. The light heavyweight rebounded from the defeats with a split decision victory over Modestas Bukauskas at UFC 260 in March. Oleksiejczuk believed that was the time to show why he belonged in the UFC, and he did exactly that.
It has been over seven months since fans last saw Oleksiejczuk inside the Octagon and he has been able to make improvements on his fight game since then.
“It was a half year break, so I had a lot of time, so I did improve a lot,” Oleksiejczuk said. “I’m a better striker, I’m a better wrestler, better grappler, much stronger and I feel like I’m a better fighter all-around this time.
“I had very good preparation in a good way, and I want to show my new abilities and new skills and all of the new improvements on Saturday.”
Those new improvements will come in handy against his opponent, Shamil Gamzatov, who holds a perfect 14-0 record. This weekend’s fight at UFC 267 will only be his second walk to the Octagon, compared to Oleksiejczuk’s seventh. However, that isn’t what Oleksiejczuk is focused on.
