Bellator 26 Fighters Hit Marks

Mike Hayes tipped the scales at 238 pounds ahead of his duel with Alexey Oleinik (230) in the Bellator Fighting Championships Season 3 heavyweight tournament quarter-finals at Bellator 26 on Thursday at the Kansas City Power and Light District in Kansas City, Mo.

The 14 other fighters booked for the event -- including bantamweight tournament entrants Jose Vegas (134.75) and Danny Tims (135.5) and women’s 115-pound tournament competitors Aisling Daly (115) and Lisa Ward (114) -- also met their mandated weight requirements at Wednesday’s official weigh-in.

Anchored at the Red Devil Sports Club, Oleinik has not competed since November 2009, when he succumbed to first-round strikes from Michal Kita under the International Absolute Fighting Council banner in Russia. It was just the fifth defeat of his 33-fight career. A judo black belt, the 33-year-old Ukrainian has delivered 23 of his 27 wins by submission.

Hayes will carry a four-fight winning streak into the match. Spawned by the Ring Demon Academy of Mixed Martial Arts in Tukwila, Wash., the Strikeforce veteran notched a unanimous decision against Steven Banks in his promotional debut at Bellator 21 in June. Hayes, who owns a 2009 knockout victory over UFC veteran Fabiano Scherner, has never been finished in 16 professional appearances.

Bellator Fighting Championships 26
Thursday, Aug. 26
Kansas City Power and Light District
Kansas City, Mo.

Mike Hayes (238) vs. Alexey Oleinik (230)
Jose Vega (134.75) vs. Danny Tims (135.5)
Tyler Stinson (173) vs. Steve Carl (174)
Aisling Daly (115) vs. Lisa Ward (114)
Rudy Bears (182) vs. Zak Cummings (181)
Kevin Croom (145) vs. Brian Davidson (145)
Brian Imes (185) vs. John Ott (184.75)
Demetrius Richards (201) vs. Jeb Chiles (203)