OKTAGON is crossing Polish borders for the first time in history. For its grand premiere, the organization has chosen the Enea Arena in Szczecin, which will shake to its foundations this Saturday. Before the arena lights go up and the cage door closes, read about the most interesting stories hidden beneath the surface of the first Polish expedition.

THE HUNT FOR THE HISTORIC 200TH SUBMISSION

Szczecin becomes the milestone 40th location and the 23rd city visited by OKTAGON. Moreover, a massive milestone is hanging in the air: the magic 200. Over the organization’s existence, fans have witnessed exactly 199 submissions. This means the first fighter to tap out their opponent in Szczecin will claim the historic 200th submission for the organization.

BATTLE OF LEGENDS UNDER BRUTAL RULES

This is the definition of a superfight. Local idol and former six-time KSW champion Michal Materla is entering his 45th professional fight. A man who fought his way from gritty halls to sold-out stadiums will defend his home turf in his native Szczecin. However, the unstoppable German tank Christian Jungwirth is rolling his way.

The bout, set at a catchweight of 89 kilograms, will take place under OKTAGON UNDERGROUND: STAND AND BANG RULES. Two unyielding legends face five three-minute rounds in small MMA gloves, where only boxing and elbows are permitted. No kicks, no takedowns, no submissions on the ground. Just a pure and uncompromising stand-up war where there is no room for retreat.

THE NARKUN PHENOMENON AND A FIREFIGHTER IN THE CAGE

In the light heavyweight division, Tomasz Narkun, a grappling phenomenon and a 3rd-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, will make his appearance. If you are looking for a fighter with one of the most prestigious resumes, he is the one. As one of the few people on the planet, he managed to defeat the legendary Mamed Khalidov twice. His opponent will be Alexander Poppeck, for whom returning to light heavyweight right in his opponent’s backyard represents a career turning point and the ultimate test of his number one ranking.

A huge stir will also be caused by Łukasz Rajewski. Not only is he an elite striker and one of only two people in the world to defeat Konrad Dyrschka, but in his civilian life, he is a full-time firefighter with over a hundred active call-outs. Originally, he was set to face Vojto Barborík, but illness sidelined the Slovak legend. A rescue mission from the Czech Republic has arrived in Szczecin at the eleventh hour. Jan Stanovský accepted this massive challenge on extreme short notice, just six days before the tournament, and is coming for the chance of a lifetime.

A CURSED DUEL AND PREPARING WITH A WORLD CHAMPION

Third time’s the charm. The duel between Ion Surdu and Amiran Gogoladze is the embodiment of this proverb. The fight was scheduled twice before—once as part of the Tipsport Gamechanger project and later as a title bout, which Surdu lost on the scales. Now, they finally meet in the cage. Surdu, who lives in Poland, will face Gogoladze, who benefits from grueling camps in Las Vegas. There, he prepared for this fight alongside the world champion Merab Dvalishvili.

REVERSE TRIANGLE CHOKE AND THE CANCELLED FIGHT WITH A GIANT

If anyone knows how to shock, it’s the Brazilian technician Henrique Madureira. In his last performance, he pulled off an absolutely unprecedented finish: a reverse triangle choke. According to his training partner Deiga-Scheck, he could hold a title if he ever actually trained. His opponent, Jonatan Kujawa, is a man of many talents; not only does he fight, but he also regularly commentates OKTAGON tournaments for Polish television.

Another fascinating story is that of Natan Niewiadomski. This talent with an incredible 19-0 amateur record was originally supposed to compete in an open-weight bout outside of OKTAGON against a Senegalese giant Serigne Ousmane Dia, known as "Bombardier", weighing a terrifying 150 kilograms. Instead, Niewiadomski will be tested in Szczecin by Austrian finisher Patrik Spirk. Spirk has never had to rely on a judges' decision in his entire career.

Will we see the magic 200th submission? Will Materla hold his fortress against the unstoppable Jungwirth? We will get the answers to these burning questions and much more this Saturday evening. Don’t miss OKTAGON’s historic premiere in Poland and watch all the fights from the Enea Arena in Szczecin live and exclusively on OKTAGON.TV.

BARTL: NAJVÄČŠÍ ZÁPAS JE TEN S VÁHOU. ZVAŽUJEM MIDDLEWEIGHT

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