UFC heavyweight Alexey Oleynik was banned from entering his native Ukraine after wearing a Vladimir Putin t-shirt to a weigh-in.
Oleynik, an MMA veteran, will compete in his 77th professional fight tonight at UFC Columbus against Ilir Latifi. Oleynik, who turned professional in 1996, is the first and only fighter to compete and win in four different decades.
Oleynik was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, which was part of the Soviet Union at the time. The 44-year-old naturalised Russian citizen was barred from returning to his birth country in 2015 after wearing a Vladimir Putin t-shirt before his second UFC fight.
Oleynik was labelled a “threat to national security” by Ukraine after living in the country for three decades, and he described being barred from entering the country as “absurd.”
“I only have one word to describe what happened: absurdity.” But, given what happened, I completely understand,” he told MK in 2015. “Only because I have expressed, continue to express, and will continue to express my civic position.”
“These are all people who came to power illegally, I assure you. The language of democracy can be found in any encyclopaedia. It will have nothing to do with what is currently happening in Ukraine because it was not a popular decision, but rather a forceful seizure.
“The marginal group in western Ukraine replaces concepts, tries to impose their attitude on others, but cannot do so with those who value us. And there are so many of them.
“I lived there for 30 years, I have a lot of fans there, and I am well-liked. Allow them to keep their borders secure. Anyone who wants to cross it, including myself, is welcome to do so. You don’t need a passport or any other documents if you know where you’re going and how to move around.”
After years of hostility between the two countries, Putin declared war on Ukraine last month. As the situation worsens, over 3.5 million refugees have fled the country through its western border.
Russian fighters Shamil Abdurakhimov and Sergei Pavlovich were booed as they entered the octagon for their fight at UFC London. Pavlovich knocked out Abdurakhimov in the first round, and when the official decision was read, many fans continued to boo him.
