Aleskei Oleinik submitted Mark Hunt in the first round. Photo / Getty Images
Billed as a five-round bout, UFC fans worldwide knew not to expect 25 minutes of action when Mark Hunt met Aleksei Oleinik at UFC Moscow.
With Hunt, a knockout master, and submission guru Oleinik squaring off as the headline fight at the first ever UFC event in Russia, all signs
pointed toward an early finish and Oleinik obliged - submitting Hunt with under a minute remaining in the first round.
Heading into the penultimate fight of his UFC contract, Hunt knew if the fight went to the ground he'd be in trouble. Of Oleinik's 56 career wins before the fight, 46 had come by way of submission earning him the nickname 'the Boa Constrictor'.
In the early going, Hunt was working his game plan perfectly. Oleinik had the height and reach advantage, but needed to get in closer to take Hunt to the mat. The Russian was hesitant to get in too close to Hunt early, and the Kiwi was keeping him at bay with some damaging leg kicks.
The Kiwi landed the first heavy shot of the bout, rocking Oleinik with a strong overhand with his right fist. His speed was paying dividends through the first three minutes, and the low kicks were causing a welt to swell up on Oleinik's leg.
