MMA’s ageless wonder, Aleksei Oleinik, returns to action against rising talent Sergey Spivak in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 29 on Saturday.

UFC Vegas 29 co-main event: Aleksei Oleinik vs. Sergey Spivak

Oleinik, 43, has been competing professionally in mixed martial arts since 1996. This week’s foe, Spivak (12-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC), was just a year old.

One of the few men to have competed in MMA in four separate decades, the Russian submission ace has fought the likes of Chael Sonnen (31-17-1), Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (38-11-2), Alistair Overeem (47-19), and Fabricio Werdum (24-9-1).

A remarkably active fighter for his age, the 15th-ranked Oleinik has fought three times since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, amassing a 1-2 record against Werdum, second-ranked Derrick Lewis (25-7), and tenth-ranked Chris Daukus (11-3).

After losing two straight fights to the latter foes, Oleinik will look to return to the win column against Spivak.

Moldova’s Spivak, 26, is one of the younger UFC heavyweights aiming to climb the promotional ladder. Since signing with the promotion in 2019, he has submitted Tai Tuivasa (12-3), outpointed Carlos Felipe (11-1), and TKO’ed Jared Vanderaa (12-5), only tasting defeat at the hands of eleventh-ranked Walt Harris (13-10) and eighth-ranked Marcin Tybura (22-6).

The heavy-handed Spivak is no slouch on the ground, but he will likely aim to keep the fight away from Oleinik’s strengths on the mat. Forty-six of Oleinik’s 59 professional victories have come by way of submission.

–Field Level Media