Ultimate Fighting Championship

UFC Phoenix Results: Alexey Oliynyk Pulls Off Ezekiel Choke

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:10 p.m. ET

Fansided, Griffin Y/FanSided via Cage Pages

Two heavyweights with something to prove meet tonight on the UFC Phoenix Prelims when Alexey Oliynyk meets Viktor Pesta.

Alexey Oliynyk was on quite the tear in the heavyweight division, winning 10 straight fights with wins over Mirko Cro Cop, Anthony Hamilton, and Jared Rosholt before multiple knee surgeries forced him to take a long layoff from the UFC.

Oliynyk returned and was beaten by majority decision last July by Daniel Omielańczuk. Oliynyk will look to send another message to the heavyweight division with another slick victory over the tough Viktor Pesta

Viktor Pesta has lost two straight, last time out was a brutal head kick defeat to Marin Tybura. With a 1-3 record in the Octagon, you’d have to think that Pesta will be on the chopping block tonight.

A loss puts him on the dreaded three-fight losing streak and nobody typically comes back from that. Pesta doesn’t have it easy with Alexey Oliynyk in front of him, but right now it’s do or die for the heavyweight.

The first round had Oliynyk instantly push Pesta to the cage but Pesta muscled Oliynyk to the ground. Oliynyk used his signature “give a position to get a limb” but Pesta worked into a dominant spot. Pesta took control on the ground with some strong shots. Pesta worked his way into half guard and tried to punch his way into a mount position from there.

Oliynyk grabbed the back of Pesta’s head and seemed to be stalling, but Pesta shockingly tapped while in full mount!

Oliynyk won with an Ezekiel Choke, which is the first time it has ever been pulled off in UFC history. An impossibly slippery and historic submission that gets Oliynyk back on track. With an insane submission victory, Alexey Oliynyk moves to 51-10-1 in his prestigious MMA career.