Igor Severino is the new bantamweight champion. In the main event, he dominated the more experienced Khurshed Kakhorov, finishing him in the second round via TKO. German MMA icon Christian Eckerlin emerged victorious in the co-main event against Czech challenger Matouš Kohout. What else did the action-packed OKTAGON 85 tournament bring?

IGOR SEVERINO vs. KHURSHED KAKHOROV

The bantamweight division has a new champion! Igor Severino delivered one of the most dominant title performances we have ever seen. From the opening seconds, he literally battered Khurshed Kakhorov. He came very close to a finish in the first round after landing a right hook, but Kakhorov miraculously weathered the storm and survived the round. In the second, Severino was even more devastating, winning via TKO in less than two minutes. A world-class performance by the young Brazilian.

CHRISTIAN ECKERLIN vs. MATOUŠ KOHOUT

The King of Germany is back! Christian Eckerlin withstood perhaps the toughest moment of his career to defeat Matouš Kohout in a bloody battle. The German fighter relied on his wrestling, which proved to be the winning game plan. He took the fight to the ground and punished Kohout with heavy strikes. The Czech "Mighty Rooster" refused to go down without a fight and made the home hero work for it. However, it wasn't enough for the win, and the beloved Christian Eckerlin celebrated a decision victory. In the post-fight interview, he announced that fans can look forward to seeing him again at the Eintracht Frankfurt stadium. Who would you like to see Eckerlin face at home in Frankfurt?

RAUL LEMBERANSKIJ vs. ALI GÜNDÜZ

Two undefeated fighters clashed for a potential title challenger spot, and it was a fantastic three-round war. While Ali Gündüz had the upper hand early on, Lemberanskij took control toward the end of the duel. After three thrilling rounds, we saw the first split decision of the night. The popular German talent Raul Lemberanskij won a narrow decision, firmly putting himself in the title conversation.

DENIZ ILBAY vs. ADRIAN HAMERSKI

Deniz Ilbay and Adrian Hamerski delivered a potential Fight of the Night. This incredible battle lasted the full fifteen minutes and will certainly stick in the fans' memories. Ilbay was caught early by a flying knee that opened a cut over his eyebrow. That didn't stop him, though—on the contrary! It was as if he suddenly wanted to finish the fight even more. Both fighters engaged in heavy exchanges on the ground and standing, trying to break each other at all costs. Ultimately, the judges' scorecards favored the home hero Ilbay. The German fighter secured a crucial victory, finally redeeming his reputation in front of his home crowd.

NICOLAJ WAGNER vs. OLUTOBI KALEJAIYE

Nicolaj Wagner accepted the fight just hours before the tournament! That alone shows what a warrior he truly is. In the match, neither heavyweight waited for anything, and a finish seemed like only a matter of time. Every shot had knockout power but also drained an immense amount of energy. The second round was absolutely unbelievable. Both fighters were on the verge of exhaustion yet remained constant threats with their power. Although it initially looked like Wagner might get the finish, body shots eventually decided the fight in favor of Kalejaiye, who won via TKO in the second round.

MAREK BARTL vs. TYRONE PFEIFER

Tyrone Pfeifer won his debut and secured a major scalp on his path toward the welterweight top ten. Both fighters put on a great show. In the first round, Bartl wasn't far from a kimura finish, but Pfeifer scrambled in time and gradually took over in the following rounds. By the third round, he had a clear advantage, and after taking the fight to the ground, he secured a dominant position and finished Bartl with heavy ground-and-pound. A great premiere for the German fighter.

PRELIMS

MOHAMMED WALID vs. ABDULLAH SULTANI

These two gave nothing away even before the fight, and in the cage, it was a total storm. Sultani went in with a clear plan—take the fight to the ground and dominate there. Walid, conversely, wanted to stay standing and denied his opponent's takedown attempts for a long time. In the second and third rounds, Sultani began to take control, and after fifteen minutes of fighting, he enjoyed a well-deserved decision win. A huge success for the young fighter's debut, sending a message to the entire division: there's a new beast in the flyweight ranks.

DENIS FRIMPONG vs. TOMÁŠ CIGÁNIK

Tomáš Cigánik took the fight against the dangerous Frimpong on short notice and put on a great performance, but it wasn't enough for the win. The first two rounds were extremely close, with both fighters leaving everything in the cage. Cigánik tried to clinch against the fence and take the fight down, but Frimpong defended well and countered with strikes on the feet. After three rounds, the judges saw Denis Frimpong as the winner, primarily due to his work in the third round.

VERONIKA SMOLKOVÁ vs. STEPHANIE EGGER

Veronika Smolková did it again! The young Slovak warrior put on a flawless performance and won the toughest test of her career so far! Egger tried to maintain distance, but as soon as Smolková got close, she unleashed combinations the experienced Swiss had no answer for. After a barrage of strikes from Smolková, her opponent went down, and the referee stopped the fight. Veronika won via TKO in the first round, securing the biggest win of her career. Will we see her next against the talented Alina Dalaslan?

SHAWN MARCOS DA SILVA vs. MATHEUS SEVERINO

An evenly matched, world-class duel went to the judges' scorecards. Da Silva and Severino went hard at each other from the start. The fans got their money's worth—most of the duel took place on the feet, where both fighters showed great skill. Severino was slightly more precise and had the edge in each round; after fifteen minutes of an attractive spectacle, he celebrated a well-deserved decision victory.

FREE PRELIMS

MICHAEL OBODOZIE vs. SEBASTIAN HORVATH

Michael Obodozie entered the professional ranks in style, winning via first-round KO. While the fight lasted slightly longer than his previous 19-second finish, it reached the same conclusion. Sebastian Horvath didn't have a bad start and was close to a finish himself. However, Obodozie weathered the crisis and then landed a brutal straight right that sent the young Slovak to the canvas.

OKTAGON 85 in Hamburg is in the books. The packed evening offered numerous finishes, thrilling battles, and unexpected turns. Next stop? The premiere in Szczecin with a stacked card full of legends. OKTAGON 86 takes place on April 11th, and the Enea Arena in Szczecin is starting to fill up—so don't hesitate and secure your spot today.

FOTOGALERIE: NEJLEPŠÍ OKAMŽIKY OKTAGONU 68

You might be interested in

POLISH DERBY AT THE TOP OF THE DIVISION: POLISH CHAMPION TO CHALLENGE WAWRZYNIAK IN SZCZECIN

ECKERLIN ON THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION: AIMING FOR A COMEBACK IN HAMBURG

SZCZECIN WELCOMES HOME HEROES: WHO WILL ENJOY THE BIGGEST SUPPORT FROM THE LOCAL FANS?

SEVERINO BECOMES THE YOUNGEST MALE CHAMPION IN OKTAGON HISTORY; ECKERLIN CELEBRATES VICTORIOUS RETURN

SMOLKOVÁ FACES A TRIAL BY FIRE IN HAMBURG. SHE WILL GO UP AGAINST A WORLD-CLASS VETERAN