UFC Fight Night 136: Hunt vs. Oleinik | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Roe Jogan
- May 20
- 7 min read
Table of Contents
Introduction
UFC Fight Night 136: Hunt vs. Oleinik took place on Saturday, September 15, 2018 at Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Moscow, Russia — broadcast exclusively on UFC Fight Pass (10:45 AM ET for North American viewers). The card drew 22,603 fans for a gate of $1,840,000 — the sixth highest attendance in UFC history at the time. It was the promotion’s first event in Russia and its 21st country overall. The main event was a heavyweight bout between Mark Hunt and Aleksei Oleinik.
Oleinik submitted Hunt with a rear-naked choke at 4:26 of round one, earning Performance of the Night. It was Hunt’s first submission loss since September 2010 — a span of 2,912 days and 16 fights. Jan Blachowicz earned Fight of the Night for his arm-triangle choke submission of Nikita Krylov in round two. Magomed Ankalaev earned Performance of the Night with a first-round head kick KO on his UFC debut. Petr Yan earned a bonus for his second consecutive UFC win. Merab Dvalishvili won his first UFC fight on the preliminary card.
UFC Enters Russia — 21st Country, Olimpiyskiy Stadium
Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Moscow — formally the Olympic Sports Complex — was constructed for the 1980 Summer Olympics. The indoor arena capacity reaches approximately 35,000 for various events. The UFC used approximately half the venue with a modified seating configuration, producing the 22,603 announced attendance. The $1,840,000 gate was competitive for a Fight Pass-exclusive card in a debut market and reflected the commercial appetite of Moscow’s MMA fanbase, which had followed the UFC through broadcast without a domestic event.
Russia’s MMA pedigree entering 2018 was deep: Fedor Emelianenko, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Aleksei Oleinik, Magomed Ankalaev, and a generation of sambo-trained competitors had established the country as one of the sport’s most productive competitive markets. The Moscow card’s fight roster reflected this depth: six Russian or Russian-adjacent fighters competed, including two Russian UFC debuts. The home-crowd atmosphere was noted by broadcast commentators throughout the evening.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, September 15, 2018 (1st UFC IN RUSSIA — 21st country; 10:45 AM ET for US viewers)
📍 Venue: Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Moscow, Russia
👥 Attendance: 22,603 (6th highest in UFC HISTORY at the time!)
💰 Gate: $1,840,000
📺 Broadcast: UFC Fight Pass EXCLUSIVE (Moscow card; morning for US viewers)
🏆 Main Event: Mark Hunt vs. Aleksei Oleinik — HW (Hunt 13-13-1; Oleinik 57-11-1; both veterans; Hunt’s power vs. Oleinik’s submission game)
✅ Result: Oleinik def. Hunt via Submission (RNC) — R1, 4:26 (PoN $50k; Hunt’s FIRST sub loss since September 2010 — 2,912 DAYS and 16 fights!)
Main Event: Oleinik’s RNC of Hunt in Round One
Hunt had been one of the UFC HW division’s most beloved competitors: his extraordinary KO power had produced multiple Knockout of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses and defined his 13-year career. His submission defence had been extraordinary — his last submission loss was to Mirko Cro Cop in September 2010, making the gap entering Moscow one of the longest active no-submission-loss streaks in HW competition. Oleinik had submitted five UFC HW opponents before Moscow, tied with Stefan Struve for second most in divisional history.
The opening round included Hunt landing a significant right hook that appeared to hurt Oleinik. Hunt also damaged Oleinik’s legs with low kicks. Oleinik attempted a guillotine that Hunt threw off. After a takedown, Oleinik secured the rear-naked choke — Hunt’s hand partially blocked the lock, but Oleinik maintained the pressure and Hunt tapped at 4:26. Hunt’s first submission loss in 2,912 days reflected the quality of Oleinik’s ground game and the resilience of Hunt’s previous submission defence over a 16-fight stretch.
Blachowicz’s FotN, Ankalaev’s Debut & Yan’s 2nd Win
Magomed Ankalaev’s UFC debut KO of Marcin Prachnio with a head kick and follow-up combination at 3:09 of round one was the Moscow card’s most commercially significant debut result for the long-term LHW narrative. Ankalaev was a 26-year-old Dagestan LHW with a sambo and striking background. His debut Performance of the Night demonstrated the finishing quality that produced his subsequent top-three LHW career. Petr Yan’s second consecutive UFC win over Jin Soo Son continued the BW career build that produced the UFC BW Championship at UFC 251 in July 2020.
Full Results
Main Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Aleksei Oleinik def. Mark Hunt — Submission (RNC) — R1, 4:26 — HW (PoN $50k; Hunt’s FIRST SUB LOSS SINCE SEPT 2010 — 2,912 days; Oleinik’s 6th UFC sub; 5th in HW)
Shamil Abdurakhimov def. Andrei Arlovski — Unanimous Decision (27-30x2, 28-29) — HW (Abdurakhimov Russian; home crowd)
Aleksei Kunchenko def. Thiago Alves — Unanimous Decision (29-28x2, 30-27) — WW (Kunchenko Russian; Alves career declining)
Magomed Ankalaev def. Marcin Prachnio — KO (head kick + combo) — R1, 3:09 — LHW (PoN $50k; ANKALAEV’S UFC DEBUT! Future top-3 LHW contender who challenged for UFC title at UFC 282!)
Petr Yan def. Jin Soo Son — [finish] — BW/FW (PoN/FotN $50k; YAN’S 2ND CONSECUTIVE UFC WIN; FUTURE UFC BW CHAMPION at UFC 251 July 2020!)
Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Rasul Khabilov def. Kajan Johnson — LW
Mairbek Taisumov def. Desmond Green — LW (home crowd favourite for Taisumov)
Khalid Murtazaliev def. C.B. Dolloway — MW (Murtazaliev building UFC record)
Ramazan Emeev def. Stefan Sekulic — WW (Emeev entering on 6-win streak)
Jordan Johnson def. Adam Yandiev — Submission (arm-triangle) — R2, 0:42 — MW
Merab Dvalishvili def. Terrion Ware — BW (DVALISHVILI’S FIRST UFC WIN after two losses! Future UFC BW CHAMPION!)
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Fight of the Night: Jan Blachowicz — $50,000 (arm-triangle sub of Krylov; FotN designation to Blachowicz)
🥇 Performance of the Night: Aleksei Oleinik + Magomed Ankalaev + Petr Yan — $50,000 each (4 total bonuses)
Records & Milestones
• First UFC event in Russia (21st country). 22,603 attendance — 6th highest in UFC history at the time.
• Hunt’s first submission loss since September 25, 2010 — 2,912 days and 16 fights without a submission loss.
• Three future UFC champions debuting or extending their careers on the same card: Ankalaev (debut), Yan (2nd win), Dvalishvili (1st win).
Legacy & Impact
Ankalaev’s Moscow debut KO launched a UFC LHW career that produced nine consecutive wins — including victories over Volkan Oezdemir, Ion Cutelaba, and Thiago Santos — before his UFC LHW interim title fight against Jiri Prochazka ended in a no-contest draw at UFC 282 in December 2022. Dvalishvili’s first UFC win over Ware launched the BW career that produced wins over Cody Stamann, John Dodson, and Marlon Moraes before his UFC BW Championship at UFC 306 in September 2024.
FAQ
How significant was Hunt’s submission loss?
Mark Hunt’s submission loss to Mirko Cro Cop in September 2010 had been his last at that method. In the 2,912 days and 16 fights between that loss and Moscow, he had faced submission specialists including Frank Mir, Bigfoot Silva, and Derrick Lewis without being submitted. His arm strength and physical resistance to choke attempts had produced multiple escapes in those fights. Oleinik’s ability to complete the rear-naked choke in Moscow reflected both Oleinik’s technical persistence and Hunt’s competitive vulnerability on the ground.
What was Oleinik’s UFC submission record entering Moscow?
Oleinik had five UFC HW submission victories before Moscow, tied with Stefan Struve for second most in divisional history behind Frank Mir’s eight. His submission style — utilising Ezekiel chokes, arm-triangles, and rear-naked chokes from positions that other fighters abandon — was a product of his sambo background and his 57-fight professional career. The Moscow RNC was his 6th UFC submission win overall.
Who was Magomed Ankalaev before his UFC debut?
Ankalaev was a 26-year-old Dagestan LHW who had gone 10-1 professionally before his UFC debut. His training background in sambo and striking was consistent with the Dagestani combat sports tradition that had also produced Khabib Nurmagomedov and other UFC champions. His 3:09 debut KO of Prachnio — a Polish LHW who had beaten multiple UFC-level opponents — demonstrated the finish quality that produced his subsequent 9-fight UFC LHW win streak through 2022.
What was Merab Dvalishvili’s significance after Moscow?
Dvalishvili was a 27-year-old Tbilisi, Georgia bantamweight who had lost his first two UFC fights (including his TKO loss to Ricky Simon at FN128 in Atlantic City). His Moscow win over Terrion Ware was his first UFC victory. His subsequent UFC BW career produced 11 consecutive wins — including victories over Cody Stamann, John Dodson, and Marlon Moraes — before his UFC BW Championship at UFC 306 in September 2024 against Sean O’Malley.
What was Blachowicz’s position entering Moscow?
Why was 22,603 the sixth highest UFC attendance at that time?
UFC events in large venues occasionally exceeded 50,000 (UFC 193 at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne in 2015 drew 56,214 — the record at the time). The Moscow attendance’s 22,603 in a modified half-venue configuration at Olimpiyskiy was commercially exceptional for a Fight Pass-exclusive event. The absence of a traditional US broadcast deal did not limit ticket sales: Russian MMA fans’ appetite for a domestic UFC event had been established over years of following the UFC through online and cable access.
References
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