The debut of OKTAGON in Hamburg delivered a show full of excitement, emotions, and surprising twists, with several finishes. The 73rd edition of the tournament showed once again why OKTAGON is unique in Europe. Let’s go over the results and highlights from this historic event in Germany’s second-largest city.

CHRISTIAN ECKERLIN vs. ROBERT PUKAČ

Hamburg and all of Germany stood behind their king, but unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to stop the precise performance of "Prince of Bratislava" Robo Pukač. Pukač entered the fight cautiously but gradually increased the intensity, landing more strikes, and in the third round, Eckerlin ran out of steam. In the biggest fight of his career, Pukač won by TKO after a flawless performance. Not many expected such a result, and Pukač deserves immense praise for his performance, which confirmed his current fantastic form. Eckerlin showed royal generosity in the post-fight interview when he mentioned that he would give Pukač back the 50 % of his purse, that was supposed to be Eckerlin's, after Robo missed his weight. A beautiful gesture of respect in combat sports to cap off an incredible evening.

ADAM PAŁASZ vs. KASIM ARAS

Wow! Karim Aras provided the shock of the night by demolishing his Polish opponent in the first round. A fantastic demonstration of how unpredictable MMA can be, where a smaller fighter can land a devastating bomb. After a perfectly timed hook to the chin, Aras landed a few strikes on the ground, and Palasz struggled to get back up. A great debut for the Turkish fighter!

KAIK BRITO vs. JOILTON LUTTERBACH

World-class MMA, two Brazilians, and a clash at the top of the welterweight division – all in a single fight: Brito vs. Lutterbach. Huge expectations for both fighters, but only one could leave as the winner. And that fighter was Kaik Brito! He added another incredible finish in the first round! After less than two minutes, he knocked Lutterbach down with a perfectly timed hook, followed by a precise knee and a few more strikes to end the fight via TKO. A better comeback would be hard to imagine. Who will Brito face next?

NIKLAS STOLZE vs. JESSIN AYARI

A first-class display of technique, toughness, and experience from two UFC veterans. The first round was slower, but the second round was much more intense. Ayari found the perfect distance for extended strikes, which Stolze couldn’t handle. After a hard knee in the clinch, Ayari managed to take Stolze to the ground, improve his position, and lock in an RNC, forcing Stolze to tap. Another submission of the night and an important win for Jessin Ayari.

JONAS MAGARD vs. FARBOD NEZHAD

A highly charged fight at the top of the bantamweight division was about who could impose their style. Former champion Magard wanted to fight primarily in striking, while Nezhad focused on controlling the clinch and attempting takedowns. The Danish fighter was well prepared for this, and in the first round, he opened Nezhad up unpleasantly. In the third round, there was a break due to an illegal low blow from Magard, but Farbod was able to continue. Despite that, "The Shark" from Denmark was better in nearly every aspect of the fight and after a dominant decision victory, he is now eyeing a title shot.

WAHED NAZHAND vs. FARIDUN SHOKHNAZAROV

The main card kicked off in grand style! Shokhnazarov stepped into the fight on short notice, but you couldn’t tell from his performance. In the first round, he caught his opponent a few times with hard shots in boxing exchanges. The second round offered incredible action – first, Faridun dropped Nazhand with a perfectly timed rear hook to the chin. However, Nazhand miraculously survived, and with a display of last-ditch strength, he caught Faridun’s arm in a Kimura and forced him to tap within seconds. Nazhand won by submission in the second round after an unbelievable turnaround.

BENO ADAMIA vs. ZHALGAS ZHUMAGULOV

The prelims finale featured a title fight, but after Adamia failed to make weight, only Zhumagulov fought for the title. The Kazakh fighter was more active from the start, landing more strikes and being more precise. Adamia relied on his counters, but they didn’t threaten Zhalgas. In the third round, the Georgian tried to step up his pace, but Zhalgas was still leading in strikes. Entering the championship rounds, the Kazakh had a comfortable 3-0 lead on the scorecards. In the fourth round, Zhalgas nearly secured a finish with a perfectly timed spinning strike that knocked Adamia down, but Adamia recovered quickly. The fifth round didn’t bring any major changes, and Zhalgas won a unanimous decision, becoming the new flyweight champion of OKTAGON.

MAREK BARTL vs. DANIEL MAKIN

Bartl’s opponent change didn’t throw him off, and he entered the fight very motivated. Makin, however, wasn’t there to lose and showed his skills and heart. But it wasn’t enough against the “Czech Executioner.” In the second round, Bartl caught Makin with a hard hook that dropped him and opened up a nasty cut on the root of his nose. Although Bartl gave Makin a dominant position almost for free, he managed to lock in a Kimura and secured another submission victory.

VOJTO BARBORÍK vs. RICHIE SMULLEN

Vojto Barborík’s return and the debut of Irish MMA star Richie Smullen in OKTAGON didn’t disappoint. Barborík started the fight with some beautiful boxing exchanges, but Richie was more successful at the end of the round. The start of the fight clearly took a toll on Barborík, and in the second round, he couldn’t do much, unable to answer Smullen’s tough ground-and-pound. One minute before the end of the second round, the Irishman won via TKO.

TOMÁŠ CIGÁNIK vs. AHMAD HALIMSON

The second fight offered higher quality from both sides. Cigánik got his opponent to the ground early in the fight, but didn’t gain much from it. Halimson, on the other hand, landed some unorthodox knee strikes from the bottom. The second round brought more striking action, with Cigánik using his height advantage and nasty high kicks. However, Halimson kept threatening with unusual strikes, especially in the clinch. Both fighters entered the final round evenly matched and very tired. They showed heart and offered fans a great finish to the fight, with Cigánik being the more precise and claiming his fifth win in a row.

ALTIN ZENUNI vs. TIBOR BALÁZS

Zenuni made his professional debut in Hamburg, and it certainly didn’t look like it. Within seconds, he took the fight to the ground and improved his position until he got to Balázs’s back and locked in an RNC. Less than two minutes later, Zenuni claimed a dominant victory. A fantastic start to the evening, a great professional debut for the likable Albanian, and a cold shower for Balázs, who never got into the fight.

OKTAGON 73 in Hamburg delivered explosive action, a new champion, and unforgettable moments. The program was packed with amazing fights, and the German audience enjoyed another exciting evening of MMA. Now all eyes are on the next chapter. Stay tuned for OKTAGON 74 at Štvanice!

DIE GESCHICHTE VON KERIM ENGIZEK: VON DEN STRASSEN DÜSSELDORFS AN DIE SPITZE DES EUROPÄISCHEN MMA

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