Alexey Oleynik has enjoyed a remarkable mixed martial arts career across 22-plus years and 70 professional fights. The 41-year-old Russian remains a factor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s heavyweight division despite his technical knockout loss to former Dream, Strikeforce and K-1 World Grand Prix champion Alistair Overeem in the UFC Fight Night 149 main event on April 20.
Sherdog.com: How much does it cost you to prepare for a fight?
Oleynik: My costs are what I spend on myself and the coaching staff, managers and sparring partners. Sometimes, I need work not in a group but individual training, and then I invite professional fighters two to three times a week to work on what I need. I also need to pay these guys for their time and keep them motivated. There’s also sports nutrition, but often I have sponsors for that. In total, it turns out to be quite a large amount of money. I go through the training camp in the United States. As a rule, it’s two or three months, so I always fly there with my family. In the end, it comes out to $8,000 to $10,000 a month. I once had a training camp in Russia. There were only four people on my team, and for 20 days of training, I paid 400,000 rubles ($6,200) for accommodations, so in Russia, it turns out to be even more expensive. At the same time, I train in one of the coolest gyms in the U.S., I have 20-30 guys working with me, and there are always heavyweights with whom I can work out all the techniques on equal terms.
Sherdog.com: Did the fact that you took the fight with Overeem on short notice impact your costs?
Oleynik: It wasn’t more expensive or cheaper. It cost just as much as it usually does. At the time, I was already getting ready to fight with [Walt] Harris. Another important point is that the cost is not affected by the duration of my camps in America. Whether it’s five months or three weeks, I just give a fixed percentage of my purse. It’s easier for me to count by months. If I’ve been preparing for five months, then it’s $50,000.
Sherdog.com: How much does it cost to stay fit in between bouts?
Oleynik: As a rule, your nutrition costs are reduced during those times. You can’t take huge doses of vitamins, amino acids and so on for 12 months a year; the body needs a break. When there are pauses, I try to do my best to treat sprains, teeth and injuries that are already several years old. I also have more time to spend with my children. We try not to sit by the TV; we always try to go somewhere. Therefore, there are no major differences in costs between breaks and training camps.
Sherdog.com: How much did you get paid for your first UFC fight?
Oleynik: We’re trying to follow the rules, and I’m not supposed to tell you the purse amounts. However, I think I can reveal my first purse. I got $10,000 to show and $10,000 to win against Anthony Hamilton. I earned $50,000 for my previous fight in a Legend tournament. I’ve already admitted that I could have gotten a lot more in Russian than I got from the UFC at the time, but I wanted to make a name for myself.
Sherdog.com: How much did you get paid for the Overeem fight?
Oleynik: I can’t reveal the total amount, but I already read on the Internet how much I received. I will say that my purse is a little more than $100,000. A few fights ago, I received $43,000 to show and $43,000 to win, but it’s not the same now. I have a new contract.
Sherdog.com: How do you plan to spend the money?
Oleynik: Preparing for my next fight and on my family. It may seem like UFC fighters earn huge money, but sometimes when I don’t fight for five or six months, I have to borrow money. Those who know what it’s like to live on credit understand the horror of this situation. Your family depends on you, so I never plan where I will spend the money I make. You just have to live and prepare for the next fight. Do you know that I still don’t have my own house? However, I have rent that’s due. I’ve been that way for several years. It’s not funny when you can’t get a decent apartment for your family in a more convenient place to live.
Sherdog.com: How would you describe your emotions now?
Oleynik: I would like to thank everybody again for their support. I learned about the Overeem fight 18 days before the event, so there wasn’t much time to prepare. I arrived in Russia 11 days before the fight. I spent only six days in the gym, and I didn’t have much time to prepare in those six days. You can imagine what you’d do in that time if you knew you were going to fight Overeem. Of course, I didn’t show the fans everything I could. I’ve already analyzed the fight and found my mistakes. Now, it’s time to work on them.