Now, dozens of combined martial arts promotions function in Europe, however none has stood out extra just lately than Czech/Slovak outfit Oktagon MMA. They’ve held two occasions at soccer stadiums in numerous international locations this calendar 12 months. They head into their sixty-fourth occasion in Munich this weekend with the heavyweight and welterweight championships on the road.
Oktagon 64: Munich
In the principle occasion, German Hatef Moeil(15-4) defends his Oktagon heavyweight title in a rematch from final November in opposition to Bulgarian Lazar Todev(11-6). Whereas the belt holder has had a 12 months out by harm and had his struggle with Stuart Austin(18-8) cancelled, ‘the punisher’ Todev has remained energetic, selecting up two knockout victories, a type of coming at Oktagon 62 inside Deutsche Financial institution Park, the house of Bundesliga membership Eintracht Frankfurt.
Within the co-main occasion, fan favorite Ion Surdu(15-6) will get the title alternative he craves within the stacked welterweight division, one other fighter on the roster who has picked up an enormous win at a stadium this 12 months. With ‘The Dracula’ selecting up a shocking first-round victory at Oktagon 58 in June over Czech MMA legend David Kozma(32-14) on the residence of Slavia Prague
He takes on the returning Kaik Brito(17-5), who final fought beneath the Czech/Slovak banner in December 2022 at Oktagon 37, coincidentally in opposition to David Kozma. The Brazilian went onto the Dana White Contender Collection and was matched in opposition to Oban Elliott(12-2), who’s now making waves within the UFC on a three-fight win streak.
Nevertheless, Brito isn’t coming into the competition due to that loss. He fought and received on the United Preventing Collection promotion twelve months in the past. He and his Romanian opponent need to show they’re the perfect welterweights within the division. Get strapped in for a deal with of two well-rounded fighters; this won’t disappoint.
Full Undercard:
Hatef Moeil vs. Lazar Todev265 lbs
Kaik Brito vs. Ion Surdu170 lbs
A. Poppeck vs. Marc Doussis205 lbs
Max Holzer vs. E. Black-Dell150 lbs
P. Vespaziani vs. S. Herzberg265 lbs
M. Deiga-Scheck vs. Jakub Dohnal150 lbs
Jamie Cordero vs. Ion Taburceanu185 lbs
Daniel Škvor vs. J. Montagnac205 lbs
Gökhan Aksu vs. Jan Malach170 lbs
Marek Bartl vs. E. Brajshori170 lbs
Jan Stanovský vs. Fedor Duric155 lbs
UFC 310: Pantoja vs Asakura Struggle Night time Full Preview
Learn how to watch Oktagon MMA occasions.
The group has its personal pay-per-view platform in its territory, however for UK struggle followers, the primary struggle is proven for FREE through the Oktagon MMA YouTube channel. The prelims and essential card shall be proven LIVE on DAZN within the UK from 6 p.m.
The Quickest Rising European Promotion.
Making their title within the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the place co-owners Pavol Neruda and Ondrej Novotny are from, has served them properly. They’ve gone from small basketball arenas with not more than a few thousand in attendance to promoting out 27,000 and 58,000 soccer stadiums. An unimaginable rise that has seen the promotion has journalists from a number of international locations masking their mega-events.
Since November 2023, they’ve damaged two data, overtaking Polish-based promotion KSW with the largest outside attendance, smashing the earlier variety of 57,766 and the biggest indoor attendance beforehand held by the UFC after they housed 18,000 in Cologne, Germany, for the primary version of this weekends essential occasion. They’re now second on this planet for largest recorded attendance at an MMA occasion behind Pleasure Showcase from again in 2002, which has a recorded determine of 71,000
One of many many large points of interest to the central European powerhouse is ‘the Champions League of MMA’s TipSport Sport Changer Match, the place eight fighters on the high of a selected division enter a knockout system. The ultimate is held on the finish of the 12 months on the O2 area in Prague for a million euros.
TipSport is the Czech betting firm that backs the match, they usually’ve seen it succeed. This 12 months’s version at light-weight will see the ultimate contested between Ronald Paradeiser(21-8) and Losene Keita(15-1). It will likely be a mouth-watering contest to conclude one other excellent match.
In addition to match MMA, they’ve some large names on the roster, akin to Czech famous person Karlos Vemola(37-8), who had six fights within the UFC, ‘terminator’ has now operated beneath the Oktagon banner for a complete of fifteen fights, profitable twelve and dropping three. He has received titles at middleweight and lightweight heavyweight throughout his time there and presently reigns because the king of the 205lb champion. He defends his belt at Oktagon 65 on December twenty ninth in opposition to Irishman Will Fleury(13-3); World in Sport fight sports activities author Dan Kelly is heading out for the occasion, so you should definitely look out for the preview in addition to interviews with the fighters from the pre and post-fight press conferences.
Former UFC fighter and American High Staff flyweight Zhalgas Zhumagulov(17-9) debuted this 12 months in opposition to former title challenger Aaron Aby(16-10-1), asserting himself in type and now seems to be set to face Sam Creasey(19-5) for the gold. One other former fighter from the highest canines was the returning Makhmud Muradov(27-8), who got here again with a dominant victory over Scott Askham(26-8) after having 5 years away the place he went 4-2-1NC within the UFC. He’s greater than impressed with the organisation’s development and needs to return to be part of one thing. The person from Tajikistan will look to make a cost in direction of a struggle with middleweight champion Kerim Engizek(21-4) in 2025.
The continued development is evident, and the calibre of fighters within the promotion are hungry to check themselves amongst among the greatest in European MMA. Within the final twelve months, they’ve given the UK a pattern of what their model affords with reveals in Manchester, Newcastle, and Birmingham. Nevertheless, realising the UK market is a tricky nut to crack, they’ve held again from securing any extra dates for the British Isles because the final present in April and allowed dozens of UK/Irish fighters to hunt alternatives elsewhere.
