Robo Pukač has experienced a career reboot in the last year like something out of a Hollywood movie. His first fight with Christian Jungwirth was a low point, where he decided to voluntarily forfeit the match after the second round, without major health issues. This led to a wave of disappointed fans, a gym change, and a new beginning that took the “Prince of Bratislava” to the top of the welterweight division, facing some of the biggest stars in the organization.

A CHILD FROM THE BLOCK: FOOTBALL AND TROUBLES

Like many other fighters, Robo’s childhood was far from easy. He grew up in a housing estate in Petržalka, raised only by his mother. He didn’t get to know his father for a long time, and throughout his childhood, his father wasn’t really a part of his life, so Robo lacked a male role model, which he had to seek elsewhere. Like many teenagers, he got into trouble during this time, but he was never the type to love conflict. He played football and made it to the "B" team of FC Artmedia Petržalka, whose "A" team played in the Champions League at the time. A serious knee injury ended his football career, and it was time to redirect his energy elsewhere. When he first came to the OFA gym, he struggled with being overweight, but under the guidance of legendary Ilja Škondrič, he quickly got in shape and started fighting.

BEGINNING OF THE CAREER AND A THREE-YEAR PAUSE

Robo started his professional career a month before his 18th birthday, in April 2010. His debut was successful, and after 17 fights, he had a promising record of 12-4-1. But then came the turning point. In 2015, he accepted a fight against the more experienced Patrik Kincl. The fight ended after three rounds with a close decision in favor of the Czech fighter. But besides the unpleasant loss, Robo also suffered injuries – a fractured cheekbone and a complicated collarbone fracture sidelined the young Slovak for three years, and it was unclear whether he would even return.

BACK TO THE CAGE: DEBUT IN OKTAGON

Before returning to the cage as a fighter, Pukač was invited to the first OKTAGON Challenge, where he took on the role of coach for the Slovak team alongside his coach Ilja Škondrič. That was in 2016, and MMA was slowly becoming more recognized. Few knew, however, how much the sport would grow in the following years. The coaching stint was successful for Robo, with their protege, Gábor Boráros, winning the very first OKTAGON Challenge. The first tournaments followed, growing in size and popularity. Robo's first fight in the newly growing organization came in 2018 at OKTAGON 10. A successful return to the cage reignited Robo’s desire to fight, and since then, he’s been with OKTAGON ever since.

A CAREER TURNAROUND: THE FIRST FIGHT WITH JUNGWIRTH AND GYM CHANGE

Before his first fight with Christian Jungwirth, things weren’t going well for Robo. He had only won one of his last five fights, and it was clear that this match could be crucial for his career. But what happened was truly unexpected. The Slovak star quit the fight halfway through! It was the culmination of long-standing frustration and dissatisfaction with his team. Instead of securing a much-needed victory, he brought shame upon himself in front of his fans, who were disappointed in his behavior. He hit rock bottom in his career and was determined to bounce back. He was resolute to regain his honor. Immediately after the fight, he decided to change gyms and with it, his mental and psychological approach. He bid farewell to his old self, and we witnessed Robo Pukač version 2.0.

IT'S ALL IN THE HEAD – THE ROAD TO THE TOP

When Robo returned to the yellow-black cage later that year, expectations were low. His fanbase had diminished due to his fight withdrawal, and he needed to win them back. He handled his fight with Tomáš Bolo well and ignited new hope that he could still make an impact in the welterweight division. A rematch with the German Celt didn’t take long to materialize, and although he lost by a decision from the judges, he showed that the heart of a fighter was still within him, and he would fight every challenge. After two more victories, the opportunity of a lifetime came – a clash with OKTAGON's fan favorite and former champion, David Kozma. Before the event in Třinec, hardly anyone gave Pukač a chance. It was generally expected that David would win by a significant margin, but the opposite happened. On Kozma's home turf in Třinec, Pukač silenced the packed hall of “Pink Panther” fans by knocking him out with a hard KO in the first round! History was rewritten – Robo Pukač was back and stronger than ever! This victory alone moved him an incredible 250 places up in the world rankings on Fightmatrix. But Robo didn’t stop there, and he set his sights on the “King of Germany” Christian Eckerlin. And how did it turn out? We saw it in Hamburg. With calmness and maximum focus, Robo timed his winning combination in the third round and silenced the fans once again by defeating one of Germany’s biggest MMA stars.

THE STORY DOESN’T END – REVENGE IS LOOMING!

Pukač’s “miraculous” story isn’t over yet. He has fought his way to the top of the welterweight division, where he now occupies the #3 spot in the rankings. But more than the championship belt, he is interested in unfinished business. During the post-fight interview, he called out his former conqueror, Patrik Kincl, to avenge the 10-year-old loss that almost ended his MMA career. He pointed at Patrik Kincl. The rival he wants to settle scores with. While Robo is now riding a wave of star success, Patrik has two title losses on his record. The internet is already buzzing between the two fighters. Will Robo get his revenge?

From the streets of Petržalka to the elite of European MMA – Robert Pukač’s story is one of fall, willpower, and rebirth. He has shown that it doesn’t matter how many times you fall, but how many times you get up. And now, the “Prince of Bratislava” stands on the brink of another challenge. Until then, you can watch more OKTAGON stars on August 9th at the most beautiful tournament of the year – under the open sky at Prague’s Štvanice Island!

FOTOGALERIE: NEJLEPŠÍ MOMENTY OKTAGONU 67

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