Alexey Oleynik says that Russian fighters are not banned from showing their flag

LockerRoom Team

18 Apr 2022

Russia’s Alexey Oleynik revealed last day that the Russian MMA fighters are not restricted by the UFC when it comes to showcasing the Russian flag inside the Octagon.

"It never happened. Nobody said anything to me. As usual, they asked me what music I was going to use for entering, whether I was going to take any object or flag with me. If you're going to do that, you have to provide this item for verification so that it's not prohibited according to the TV guidelines. The Russian flag is not one of those things. You can safely wear it," Oleynik told MMA.Metaratings.ru.

There were rumors that UFC had restricted the fighters from showcasing the Russian flag amidst the ongoing situation between Russia and Ukraine but Oleynik has shot down those rumors.

Interestingly, ONE Championship had taken out Russian fighters from their upcoming cards in Singapore and there were also calls for the UFC to ban Russian MMA fighters.

Oleynik recently fought at UFC 273 against Jared Vanderaa and picked up a submission win in the first round. With the win, he also snapped his three-fight losing streak and got back to winning ways as well. The 44-year-old currently holds a record of 60-16 to his name. He had suffered losses to Sergey Spivak, Chris Daukaus, and Derrick Lewis prior to his win at UFC 273.

What do you think of the reveal from the Russian? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.