Sakuraba and co. have been drip-feeding information about the upcoming Quintet Ultra but the latest serving is a big one. It’s been revealed that Gordon Ryan will take on Ezekiel-choke specialist, Aleksei Oleinik, in a superfight at the event. This latest announcement has come as a slight surprise as it was only last week that Ryan pulled out of the BJJ Fanatics Grand Prix due to injury.

Gordon Ryan has had a flawless year so far, going undefeated and winning the ultimate prize at ADCC after beating some of the best the sport has to offer. Oleinik hasn’t had the same success this year as he’s only fought twice in the UFC so far and lost both fights via KO. Despite this, the Combat Sambo World Champion is still one of the most underrated grapplers in the UFC and is capable of pulling off a few more wins even at the age of 42.

While Oleinik isn’t a regular competitor on the grappling circuit, his MMA record of 45 submissions in 57 wins is truly impressive. He’s also the only person to record an Ezekiel Choke-finish in the UFC and has racked up eleven across his career. This gives him a very unique way to threaten Ryan as he isn’t an easy person to prepare for. Regardless of the challenge he might present to Ryan, it’s still a pretty safe bet that the king leaves Quintet Ultra with his flawless year intact.

Quintet Ultra is scheduled for 12/12/2019 and airs live on UFC Fight Pass at 12:00 AM ET.