<p>Candles, roses, and a romantic dinner? Maybe somewhere. But when two combat sports enthusiasts meet on Valentine’s Day, it’s more about getting home earlier than usual rather than arriving late after training. Instead of heart-shaped cakes, they focus on weight cuts, and the sweetest words they exchange are often valuable grappling tips.</p><oktresponsiveimagecomponent url="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/f2312644-61cc-4427-a852-d596042d04f4/cs.1739542827616.png" mobileurl="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/0b7b5301-2bef-4569-9988-1f3e21edd153/cs.1739542833323.png"></oktresponsiveimagecomponent><p></p><p>Let’s take a look at the most beloved fighting couples in OKTAGON:</p><h2>💘 SZABOVÁ &amp; ŠIMKULIČ 💘 ENDLESS SUPPORT</h2><p>Lucie Szabová shines in the OKTAGON cage, and although illness temporarily postponed her title shot, no one doubts it’s just a matter of time. At home, she has great support—her partner Andrej Šimkulič is not only an experienced fighter in the yellow-and-black cage but also a natural in combat sports, whether it's Muay Thai or winning WKU championship titles. He supports Lucka at tournaments and is always the first to celebrate her victory when her hand is raised. Sweet, right?</p><oktinstagramcomponent url="https://www.instagram.com/p/DFVv-fAN7qC/?hl=cs"></oktinstagramcomponent><h2>💘 SMOLKOVÁ &amp; STANČÍK 💘 A DATE AT A TOURNAMENT</h2><p>Lucie Szabová’s friend and flyweight division’s top-ranked fighter, Veronika Smolková, agrees—having a fighter at home is simply awesome. She is in a relationship with Muay Thai fighter Peter Stančík, whose life also revolves around training, dieting, and fights. And when they both have a free day? Naturally, they head to another tournament!</p><oktinstagramcomponent url="https://www.instagram.com/p/DFVC_RmNvuM/?hl=cs"></oktinstagramcomponent><h2>💘 ČEPO &amp; KRAJČOVIČ 💘 CHAMPIONS OF THE LOVE DIVISION</h2><p>A legendary fighting couple? That would be Vlasto Čepo and Lucia Krajčovič. These two never fail to surprise us—remember when Lucia secretly took a fight on Štvanice after maternity leave without telling her partner? He was completely shocked when he saw the mysterious name appear on the fight card. Their love language? Unwavering support and understanding for the endless hours of training and sacrifices!</p><oktinstagramcomponent url="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1aPIkZKlJ_/?hl=cs&amp;img_index=1"></oktinstagramcomponent><h2>💘 CHOCHLÍKOVÁ &amp; TADLÁNEK 💘 LOVE FLOURISHES IN THE GYM!</h2><p>The perfect date? A sparring session together! Monika Chochlíková and her partner, trainer, and fighter Tomáš Tadlánek, fell in love years ago at the gym. Their love from the cage has lasted to this day, and they even joke that sometimes, it feels like they are in a never-ending fight camp! 👇</p><oktinstagramcomponent url="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cu3xqgux7XP/?hl=cs"></oktinstagramcomponent>

Which OKTAGON couples share a love for combat sports?

VALENTINE’S DAY IN OKTAGON:  LOVE IS IN THE GYM! 

<p><span>A kick off his back that rewrote history. A main event at just 22. A boxing coach who makes his debut against a bare-knuckle champion. And a veterinarian who has racked up twelve OKTAGON fights since 2017. Ostrava is sending a strong contingent to Třinec, and every one of its members brings a story of his own. OKTAGON 98 kicks off on Saturday, November 21, at the Werk Arena in Třinec, less than an hour’s drive from Ostrava. Who are the Ostrava fighters, and what awaits them in Třinec?</span></p><oktresponsiveimagecomponent url="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/608e35e2-3b64-43db-ba1c-c6df5a8eafdf/cs.1794430862060.png" mobileurl="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/d3cbba3c-9fcb-48e1-99bc-7959d9c5c26f/cs.1794430878678.png" link="" croppedcorners="true" enablecornersmobile="false" smallercorners="false"></oktresponsiveimagecomponent><h2>TOMÁŠ MUDROCH: THE OSTRAVA EXPRESS RETURNS TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN</h2><p><span>For <strong>Tomáš Mudroch (9-2)</strong>, Saturday night will be a return to the scene of the crime. In February 2025, he made his OKTAGON debut right here at the Werk Arena. His Moldovan opponent Petru Buzdugan caught a kick and put him on his back. As Buzdugan dived in after him, Mudroch landed a kick from the bottom flush on the chin and finished the job on the ground. It was all over in 82 seconds. It was the <strong>first upkick KO in OKTAGON history.</strong> In his post-fight interview in the cage, he imitated a train horn, dubbed himself the “Ostrava Express” and dedicated the win to his son, who was three months old at the time.</span></p><p><span><strong>The “Express” then picked up speed.</strong> He stopped both Ozan Aslaner in Munich and Jakub Dohnal in Brno in the third minute of the opening round. <strong>Eight of his nine professional wins have come in the first round</strong>, and all eight opponents combined lasted less than eleven minutes against him. Then came some hard lessons. This February, Fedor Durić stopped him at the home event in Ostrava, and in April in Liberec, he felt the power of BKFC European champion Josef Hála under Stand &amp; Bang rules. But Mudroch didn’t fold. In August at Štvanice, he outworked Hafeni Nafuka and <strong>won a decision for the first time in his career.</strong></span></p><p><span>The number seven ranked lightweight has now earned the co-main event slot. Across the cage will be Frenchman <strong>Jason “The Amazonian Samourai” Ponet (26-20-1)</strong>, a man who has seen just about everything inside the cage. He turned pro in 2008, when Mudroch was still in primary school, and has piled up 48 professional fights. He has competed in PFL, ONE, ACA and Brave CF, and in 2016 he fought for the Cage Warriors lightweight title. He has appeared in OKTAGON only once so far, losing a decision to Łukasz Rajewski in Ostrava in 2024. Can the “Ostrava Express” stop a man who has been through so many wars?</span></p><h2>JAKUB BATFALSKÝ: THE MAN OF THE YEAR WHO BET EVERYTHING ON THE CAGE</h2><p><span><strong>Jakub Batfalský (10-2)</strong> celebrates his 24th birthday on November 18 and steps into the cage three days later. The Ostrava native was the <strong>Czech and Slovak amateur champion in 2021 and brought home a bronze medal from the European Championships.</strong> He announced himself as a professional with an armbar win that took him just 43 seconds. To chase his MMA career, he walked away from his school-leaving exams. “I don’t have a Plan B. I want to be the best,” he said.</span></p><p><span>His OKTAGON career began with a loss in Oberhausen, <strong>but a three-fight winning streak followed</strong>. He swept past Dominik Toporcer in 101 seconds at the O2 arena, broke Joel Batobo in Stuttgart so badly that his corner stopped the fight after the second round, and beat the experienced Karol Ryšavý at Eden Stadium. In August 2025, he <strong>finished second in the Man of the Year competition</strong>, and three weeks later he was walking out for the main event in Hannover. At 22, he became the youngest Czech ever to headline an OKTAGON event. Gjoni Palokaj beat him on points that night, but Batfalský bounced back with wins over Eugen Black-Dell and Vojtěch Khol. <strong>Today he is ranked number eight at featherweight.</strong></span></p><p><span>In Třinec, he faces 32-year-old Belgian <strong>Ayton “Hitman” De Paepe (15-6)</strong> of Combat Brothers in Antwerp. The former champion of the Belgian promotion Staredown has shared the cage with future UFC fighters Jack Shore and Lerone Murphy. In 21 professional fights, nobody has ever finished him with strikes. He arrived in OKTAGON on short notice at Eden in the summer of 2025 and beat Roman Paulus. He now holds a <strong>3-1 record inside the yellow-and-black cage</strong>. The two also share a common scalp, as both beat Karol Ryšavý on points. Can Batfalský become the first man to finish the Belgian with strikes?</span></p><h2>MARTIN PRÁZDNÝ: OSTRAVA BOXING COACH CHALLENGES A BKFC CHAMPION ON DEBUT</h2><p><span><strong>Martin “Emptyš” Prázdný</strong> teaches boxing at Fighting Club Ostrava. His nickname dates back to primary school, where his English teacher played on his surname, which means “empty” in Czech, and called him “Mr. Empty”. His trophy cabinet, however, is anything but empty. He has around <strong>90 amateur boxing bouts behind him</strong> and became Czech national champion in both 2017 and 2023. In the autumn of 2023, within just 83 days, he won the Czech amateur MMA title, the Czech boxing title and a professional belt with the GREAT promotion. With the belt over his shoulder, he then proposed to his girlfriend. Last May in Ostrava, he <strong>beat OKTAGON veteran Leandro “Apollo” Silva in a boxing bout</strong>.</span></p><p><span>He makes his OKTAGON debut under <strong>Stand &amp; Bang rules</strong>, where the fight stays on the feet and is contested in small gloves. Across from him will be Opava’s <strong>Jindřich Byrtus</strong>, which turns the bout into a Moravian-Silesian derby. Byrtus is unbeaten in BKFC, and in July in Naples, at the age of 21, he <strong>became the European cruiserweight champion</strong>. His Italian opponent dropped him twice along the way. Byrtus got up both times and turned the fight around. He is only the second Czech to hold a BKFC European belt. The first is Josef Hála, who beat Prázdný’s teammate Mudroch in April. Will the Ostrava boxer turn his technique into a winning debut, or will the young man from Opava prove once again that nothing can stop him?</span></p><h2>ONDŘEJ RAŠKA: THE VET WHO REMEMBERS THE EARLY DAYS</h2><p><span>Few have known OKTAGON as long as <strong>Ondřej “Andrés” Raška (12-10)</strong>. He first stepped into the yellow-and-black cage in 2017 as part of the second season of OKTAGON Challenge, back when the promotion was only at event number four. Třinec will be his <strong>thirteenth OKTAGON fight</strong>. Outside the cage, Raška is a veterinarian, and he played that card last summer at Štvanice when his fight with Pavel “Spicy Pája” Tóth was announced: “I’ll take care of your little puppy, I’ll have a look at his teeth and see if any of them need pulling.” In December at the O2 arena, he <strong>finished the influencer in 79 seconds</strong>. This June in Bratislava, he was stopped by Radovan Úškrt, a man he could have met back in 2017, when both went through OKTAGON Challenge. Raška <strong>has eight wins inside the distance</strong>, five of them by submission. Now he wants to get back to winning ways.</span></p><p><span>His opponent is Austrian <strong>Dominic “The Dom” Schober (16-15)</strong> of GYM 23 in Vienna, who is the same age. He has fought for more than ten promotions, including ACA, Brave CF and FNC, and outside the cage he has appeared in the Netflix series “Crooks”. In OKTAGON, however, he is still waiting for his first win. He has been to Třinec before. In February 2025, on the same night Mudroch made his debut, he lost to Daniel Ligocki here. Neither man likes leaving it to the scorecards. Will this one be settled before the judges get involved?</span></p><p><span><strong>OKTAGON 98 kicks off on Saturday, November 21, at the Werk Arena in Třinec and culminates in the title fight between Mateusz Legierski and legend Ivan Buchinger. Come and support the Ostrava contingent and be part of it! Tickets are available at the link below.</strong></span></p><okteventcomponent eventid="148"></okteventcomponent>

A kick off his back that rewrote history. A main event at just 22. A boxing coach who makes his debut against a bare-knuckle champion. And a veterinarian who has racked up twelve OKTAGON fights since 2017.

OSTRAVA DESCENDS ON TŘINEC: AN EXPRESS, A MAN OF THE YEAR, A BOXER AND A VET

<p><span>Nine finishes, one disqualification and just two decisions. OKTAGON 97 left the judges with mostly empty scorecards, as ten of the twelve fights ended inside the distance. Only two bouts went to the final bell, and both were decided unanimously. What made it onto the scorecards at Hannover’s ZAG Arena on November 7 before the finishes arrived?</span></p><oktresponsiveimagecomponent url="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/f0f7557d-21f6-4633-b619-e1485d0e41ee/cs.1794229596159.png" mobileurl="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/30ae456d-7423-46be-ba10-d2aad9e406a9/cs.1794229603761.png" link="" croppedcorners="true" enablecornersmobile="false" smallercorners="false"></oktresponsiveimagecomponent><h2>IGOR SEVERINO VS. MAX HOLZER</h2><p><span>The bantamweight title fight never reached the scorecards. Max Holzer set the ZAG Arena alight with one of his very first punches, but Igor Severino answered instantly with a hard shot and buried the rocked challenger under a barrage. The KO at 0:54 of the first round marked the Brazilian champion’s first successful title defense and handed the local star his first loss after twelve wins.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1476" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>GJONI PALOKAJ VS. ZAFAR MOHSEN</h2><p><span>The hometown fighter had to come from behind. Palokaj started as the busier man, but Mohsen soon pressed him against the fence and landed the cleaner shots on the feet in the final minute. Two of the three judges gave him the close opening round, while the third saw it for Palokaj. That meant the Hannover fighter entered the second round trailing on most of the cards. When Mohsen took him down midway through the round, Palokaj hit him with several elbows from his back and locked up a triangle in a flash. The submission at 3:12 of the second round snapped Mohsen’s five-fight win streak and left the scorecards unfinished.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1493" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>OZAN ASLANER VS. DENIS FRIMPONG</h2><p><span>After months of sharp words, the two finally settled it in the cage, and the judges never got to write anything down. Ozan Aslaner picked his opponent apart from the opening bell, stuffed every one of Frimpong’s takedown attempts and kept chaining one combination after another. KO at 4:16 of the first round and a third straight win.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1543" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>JUSTIN DETZEL VS. KACPER FRĄTCZAK</h2><p><span>In this grappler vs. striker matchup, there was never any doubt about the winner. Justin Detzel dragged Frątczak to the mat right away, controlled him from top position for the entire first round, and all three judges agreed it was his. The second round was even more one-sided. Detzel worked his way into a dominant position, hunted for an arm triangle twice and punished his opponent with constant strikes, prompting two of the three judges to score the round 10-8. The multiple-time kickboxing world champion found no answer in the third either, and the round once again went unanimously to Detzel. The unanimous decision win, 30-26, 30-26 and 30-27, keeps his pro record perfect at 4-0 and handed Frątczak the first loss of his career.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1495" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>KAROL RYŠAVÝ VS. SAMUEL BARK</h2><p><span>This postponed bout ended in a way nobody saw coming. Bark pushed forward from the start and Ryšavý took the Swede down, but he got back up and the fight returned to the clinch. Past the midway point of the round, Bark landed a clean knee and immediately followed with another, this time to the head of a grounded opponent. The illegal strike led to a disqualification at 2:49 of the first round. The scorecards stayed blank, and Karol Ryšavý celebrates a bittersweet victory in his 23rd fight under the yellow-and-black banner.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1528" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>DANIEL MAKIN VS. PETR BARTONĚK</h2><p><span>After two rounds, the scorecards pointed to a clear outcome. A handful of extra strikes decided the tight opening round, and all three judges gave it to local fighter Daniel Makin. The second went the same way. Bartoněk did take his opponent down, but the Hannover veteran quickly got back up, landed accurately on the feet and dropped the Czech with a flurry of punches and elbows before the horn. Bartoněk therefore entered the third round down 20-18 on all three cards and in need of a finish. That is exactly what he delivered. He took the fight to the mat, took Makin’s back and locked in a rear-naked choke at 2:29 of the third round. His first OKTAGON win under MMA rules came at the most important moment.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1490" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>HACI AKSEKER VS. JONATAN KUJAWA</h2><p><span>Haci Akseker controlled the opening round on the feet, landing more often and harder, and all three judges agreed without hesitation. The scorecards had no say in the second. After the two traded lead-hand shots, Kujawa went down hard. He made it back up, but another punch sent him straight back down and Akseker finished it with a final flurry. TKO at 1:25 of the second round and a return to winning ways after his loss to Federico in May.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1492" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>JAN HOLZER VS. JÁN ŠVAGERKO</h2><p><span>The younger Holzer brother’s pro debut didn’t keep the judges busy. Jan Holzer tagged Švagerko hard early, dropped him after they returned to the feet and immediately sank in a guillotine. Submission at 1:52 of the first round and a dream start to his professional career.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1551" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>ISLAM DJABRAILOV VS. KENJI BORTOLUZZI</h2><p><span>The scorecards captured just one round, and all three judges gave it to Islam Djabrailov. After landing a clean punch, the local fighter took his opponent’s back, went for a rear-naked choke and added a takedown late in the round. Less than a minute into the second, he jumped on a guillotine and Bortoluzzi had to tap. The submission at 0:49 of the second round sealed a winning debut in the yellow-and-black cage.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1571" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>JOSEFINE KNUTSSON VS. YASMIN GUIMARÃES</h2><p><span>One of two fights that went the full distance, and the scorecards told a clear story. Josefine Knutsson was the more accurate fighter both in the clinch and on the feet, and all three judges gave her the opening round. The second round followed the same script, with the Swede adding a takedown to her cleaner strikes. She therefore entered the final round leading 20-18 on all three cards. The Brazilian debutant showed remarkable toughness, even took her opponent down late on, and one of the judges awarded her the third round. It changed nothing in the overall result. The unanimous decision win, 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28, is Knutsson’s emphatic answer to her bitter debut in Liberec.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1573" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>MATHEUS SEVERINO VS. MOHAMMED WALID</h2><p><span>The older Severino brother gave the judges nothing to do. Matheus was faster on the feet, methodically broke down the local replacement and, just under two minutes in, dropped him with a single lead hook. KO at 1:48 of the first round.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1581" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>KATHRIN HABERLE VS. POLIANA ALBUQUERQUE</h2><p><span>The local IMMAF European champion opened the night in Hannover, and the scorecards stayed clean. Kathrin Haberle battered her opponent with punches, kicks and knees from the start, and the Brazilian replacement had no answer to the onslaught. TKO at 2:29 of the first round and a dominant debut in yellow and black.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1580" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><p></p><p><span><strong>Hannover is in the books, but the yellow-and-black machine keeps rolling. On November 21, OKTAGON 98 heads to Třinec’s Werk Arena, where three-time lightweight champion Mateusz Legierski meets Ivan Buchinger, the first double champion in OKTAGON history, with the lightweight belt on the line. Don’t miss it and grab your seat now. Tickets are available at the link below.</strong></span></p><okteventcomponent eventid="148"></okteventcomponent>

Nine finishes, one disqualification and just two decisions. OKTAGON 97 left the judges with mostly empty scorecards, as ten of the twelve fights ended inside the distance. Only two bouts went to the final bell, and both were decided unanimously.

STORMY NIGHT IN HANNOVER: THE JUDGES FILLED OUT THEIR SCORECARDS ONLY TWICE

<p><span>Less than a minute was all Igor Severino needed to silence a sold-out ZAG Arena. The Brazilian bantamweight champion blew away undefeated Max Holzer, successfully defended his belt for the first time and took the zero off the home star’s record. It was a perfect night for the Severino brothers, as older brother Matheus dropped Mohammed Walid with a single hook. The home fans still got a big comeback to celebrate. After his loss to Machaev, Gjoni Palokaj locked up a triangle from his back and is once again calling for a title shot. The Hannover night also delivered nine finishes in twelve fights. How did the rest of OKTAGON 97 play out?</span></p><oktresponsiveimagecomponent url="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/86b50ed8-be1a-446a-a509-fdaf86995edf/cs.1794131576370.png" mobileurl="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/7c600134-e177-4346-9100-7e6d7b4b8828/cs.1794131584588.png" link="" croppedcorners="true" enablecornersmobile="false" smallercorners="false"></oktresponsiveimagecomponent><h2>IGOR SEVERINO VS. MAX HOLZER</h2><p><span>The main event lasted less than a minute, but it delivered drama the ZAG Arena won’t forget anytime soon. Max Holzer landed one of the very first shots of the fight and the home crowd erupted. Igor Severino answered immediately. He rocked the challenger with a hard shot and switched into finishing mode. He unleashed a devastating flurry that forced the referee to stop the fight before it had even really started. The youngest champion in OKTAGON history held on to his belt in his first true title defense and remains the king of the bantamweight division. Holzer’s title quest in Hannover is over, and after twelve wins, the home star has tasted defeat for the first time in his career.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1476"></oktfightcomponent><h2>GJONI PALOKAJ VS. ZAFAR MOHSEN</h2><p><span>Hometown fighter Gjoni Palokaj started the more active of the two and landed several clean shots early on. Zafar Mohsen soon closed the distance, though, and pressed him against the fence. In the final minute the fight returned to the feet, where Mohsen began landing, and two of the three judges gave him the close round. Halfway through the second, Palokaj landed hard, but Mohsen answered with a takedown. The Hannover fighter was not fazed even from his back. He first hit his opponent with several elbows, then quickly locked up a triangle that Mohsen could not escape. After his tough loss to Machaev, Palokaj gets back to winning ways in front of his own fans and snaps Mohsen’s five-fight winning streak. In his post-fight interview, he once again called for a title fight.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1493"></oktfightcomponent><h2>OZAN ASLANER VS. DENIS FRIMPONG</h2><p><span>After months of heated messages, Ozan Aslaner finally got the chance to answer in the cage, and he did so emphatically. He set a high pace from the start, landed several clean shots and rocked Frimpong very quickly. The Irishman tried to take the fight to the ground, but Aslaner stuffed every takedown attempt and kept picking him apart. One flurry followed another and Frimpong could not get anything going until the referee stopped the fight before the end of the first round. Aslaner delivered a truly dominant performance and gave his opponent nothing. With this KO win, he now has three victories in a row.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1543"></oktfightcomponent><h2>JUSTIN DETZEL VS. KACPER FRĄTCZAK</h2><p><span>The grappler-versus-striker matchup had a clear script from the very first second. Justin Detzel immediately shot for a takedown, put Frątczak on the mat and controlled him from the top for the entire first round while landing strikes. The second round started the exact same way. The Fightschool Hannover product took a dominant position, twice looked for an arm triangle, and although he couldn’t finish the choke, he kept punishing his opponent with strikes. The multiple-time kickboxing world champion found no answer in the third round either. Detzel pressed him against the fence, took the fight back down and kept him there until the final horn. After fifteen minutes of total dominance, he wins by decision, stays perfect at 4-0 and hands Frątczak the first loss of his career.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1495"></oktfightcomponent><h2>KAROL RYŠAVÝ VS. SAMUEL BARK</h2><p><span>The fight, postponed from last year due to Bark’s injury, ended in unexpected fashion. Samuel Bark pressed forward from the start and quickly drove his opponent to the fence. The experienced Karol Ryšavý reversed the position and took the Swede down, but Bark got back up and the fight returned to the clinch. Past the midway point of the round, Bark landed a clean knee to the head, but immediately followed it with another while Ryšavý was already on the ground. After this illegal strike, the referee stopped the fight and disqualified Bark. Karol Ryšavý is awarded the win in his 23rd fight under the yellow-and-black banner.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1528"></oktfightcomponent><h2>DANIEL MAKIN VS. PETR BARTONĚK</h2><p><span>Most of the opening round was fought against the fence, with the momentum swinging back and forth. Hometown fighter Daniel Makin edged a very close round thanks to a few extra strikes. In the second, Bartoněk took his opponent down, but the Hannover veteran quickly got back up and, after another scramble along the fence, started landing accurately on the feet. Late in the round he unleashed a hard flurry of punches and elbows that sent Bartoněk to the mat, and the end seemed inevitable. The Czech fighter made it back to his feet, though, and even threatened with a choke at the end of the round. The second round still went to the German. Then came the turnaround in the third. Bartoněk took the fight to the ground, worked into a dominant position and sank in a rear naked choke from Makin’s back. After a dramatic comeback, he wins by submission and finally earns his first win in an OKTAGON MMA bout.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1490"></oktfightcomponent><h2>HACI AKSEKER VS. JONATAN KUJAWA</h2><p><span>The opening round played out on the feet, where Haci Akseker clearly landed the cleaner shots. Kujawa answered accurately a few times, but the hometown boxer landed more often and harder and took the first round convincingly. Both men came out very active in the second. About a minute in, they traded jabs and the Pole went down hard. Akseker immediately pounced and hunted for the finish. The rocked karateka made it back to his feet, but another hard shot sent him back down, and Akseker finished the fight with a final flurry. After a narrow loss to Federico in May, the Fightschool Hannover fighter gets back in the win column with a second-round TKO.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1492"></oktfightcomponent><h2>JAN HOLZER VS. JÁN ŠVAGERKO</h2><p><span>Undefeated as an amateur, Jan Holzer proved he belongs on the professional stage. Švagerko pressed forward from the start, but the younger of the Holzer brothers caught him hard very early. The Tipsport Cage Game season one participant then latched onto his opponent against the fence, but after a quick return to the feet he got hit again. About a minute and a half in, Švagerko went down, Holzer immediately followed him and locked up a guillotine. After a wild first round, he wins by submission, and his entry into the professional ranks could not have gone any better.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1551"></oktfightcomponent><h2>ISLAM DJABRAILOV VS. KENJI BORTOLUZZI</h2><p><span>Kenji Bortoluzzi opened the fight with a series of calf kicks, but less than a minute in, Islam Djabrailov landed cleanly. The hometown fighter immediately took his opponent’s back and went for a rear naked choke, but the experienced Swiss fighter safely escaped. Djabrailov then stuck to him against the fence, added a takedown late in the round and took the first frame. The second round did not last long. Less than a minute in, Djabrailov landed a jumping guillotine and Bortoluzzi was forced to tap. After a year and a half away from the cage, Max Holzer’s training partner celebrates a winning OKTAGON debut by submission.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1571"></oktfightcomponent><h2>JOSEFINE KNUTSSON VS. YASMIN GUIMARÃES</h2><p><span>Once again, there was no waiting around, as both women went straight into hard exchanges. Josefine Knutsson landed well in the clinch early on and was far more accurate on the feet throughout the round. The Brazilian debutant absorbed a lot of hard shots and showed she is remarkably tough, but the opening round clearly went to the Swede. In the second, Knutsson kept landing the cleaner shots, added a takedown and extended her lead. The final round brought no twist either. Guimarães managed to tie her opponent up and take her down late, but the UFC veteran was faster and sharper throughout. After her bitter debut in Liberec, Knutsson responds with a clear performance and an important decision win.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1573"></oktfightcomponent><h2>MATHEUS SEVERINO VS. MOHAMMED WALID</h2><p><span>The Brazilian family trip to Hannover could not have started any better. Instead of the originally announced Abdul Badakhshi, Matheus Severino faced hometown fighter Mohammed Walid of Fightschool Hannover. The champion’s older brother lived up to his billing as the betting favorite and didn’t hesitate for a moment. From the opening seconds he was faster and more technical on the feet, carefully picking his opponent apart and waiting for his chance. He found it in under two minutes. A single precise lead hook sent Walid to the canvas. Matheus claims a lightning-fast first-round KO in Hannover.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1581"></oktfightcomponent><h2>KATHRIN HABERLE VS. POLIANA ALBUQUERQUE</h2><p><span>Hometown fighter Kathrin Haberle opened the Hannover night and gave the fans at the ZAG Arena exactly the start they wanted. From the opening bell she tagged her opponent on the feet and buried her under hard punches, kicks and knees. The young Brazilian, who stepped in for Thais Vasconcelos, had no answer to the onslaught. The referee stopped the fight midway through the first round. The IMMAF European champion celebrates a dominant TKO win in her yellow-and-black debut, while Albuquerque suffers the first loss of her career.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1580"></oktfightcomponent><p></p><p><span><strong>The Hannover night is in the books, but you won’t have to wait long for more. On November 21, we head back to Třinec’s Werk Arena, where the crowd nearly blew the roof off last time. In the main event of OKTAGON 98, lightweight champion Mateusz Legierski defends his belt against Ivan Buchinger. Don’t miss the electric atmosphere only Třinec can create, and secure your seat now. Tickets are available at the link below.</strong></span></p><okteventcomponent eventid="148"></okteventcomponent>

Less than a minute was all Igor Severino needed to silence a sold-out ZAG Arena. The Brazilian bantamweight champion blew away undefeated Max Holzer, successfully defended his belt for the first time and took the zero off the home star’s record.

OKTAGON 97 RESULTS: SEVERINO SILENCES HANNOVER AS HOLZER SUFFERS FIRST LOSS

<p>An undefeated hometown talent against the youngest champion in history. Two pairs of brothers on one card. A war of words that, after months of heated messages, is finally moving into the cage, and a clash between two fighters with spotless records. All this and much more awaits at OKTAGON 97 on Saturday, November 7, at Hannover’s ZAG Arena. Here is the full card, fight by fight.</p><oktresponsiveimagecomponent url="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/68522fbc-aac2-4ba4-98b9-d9b9e6a7bb3f/cs.1793969038811.png" mobileurl="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/2e619d07-995b-4a03-9972-3eea8b843395/cs.1793969045026.png" link="" croppedcorners="false" enablecornersmobile="false" smallercorners="false"></oktresponsiveimagecomponent><h2>IGOR SEVERINO VS. MAX HOLZER</h2><p>A title fight the home star asked for himself. Undefeated Max “Made in Germany” Holzer (12-0) called out the bantamweight champion right after his May TKO of UFC veteran Khalid Taha. He is 6-0 in OKTAGON and hasn’t tasted defeat in 2,443 days, the second-longest active streak in the organization. To chase the belt, he is leaving the featherweight division and dropping a weight class for the first time in OKTAGON. Across the cage stands Igor “The Hannibal” Severino (10-1), who became the youngest male champion in OKTAGON history in Hamburg at just 22. He has finished nine of his ten wins. He kept his belt in June against Zhalgas Zhumagulov, but that fight ended in a no contest after a low blow, so his first true title defense is still ahead of him. Will Holzer take the belt in front of his own city, or will the Brazilian silence the entire arena?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1476"></oktfightcomponent><h2>GJONI PALOKAJ VS. ZAFAR MOHSEN</h2><p>A clash between No. 4 and No. 3 in the rankings, and the winner moves a big step closer to a featherweight title shot. Hometown fighter Gjoni Palokaj (13-4) headlined the first-ever Hannover event last September against Batfalský. A six-fight winning streak carried him all the way to a title fight. In July, however, Machaev stopped him in the first round, handing him his first loss in OKTAGON and his first by KO. Now he faces Zafar “The Powerhouse” Mohsen (15-4), who brought experience from PFL, BRAVE and Cage Warriors into the yellow-and-black cage. He is still unbeaten in OKTAGON. First he outpointed Samuel Bark, then in Berlin he became the first man to knock out Richie Smullen. Will Palokaj get back to winning ways in front of his fans, or will Mohsen add another big scalp?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1493"></oktfightcomponent><h2>OZAN ASLANER VS. DENIS FRIMPONG</h2><p>Sparks have been flying between these two for a long time, and both asked for this fight. Irský “The Menace” Denis Frimpong (8-4), a former title challenger and master of mind games, sent Ozan Aslaner (11-6-1) several pointed messages before his fight with Lengál. Those posts really got under Aslaner’s skin. He has the scalps of Tichota and Lengál and comes to Hannover on a two-fight winning streak. Frimpong, on the other hand, was last knocked out by Niko Samsonidse, Aslaner’s training partner. Ahead of the 72 kg catchweight bout, he promises to “take him apart like a kebab on a spit.” Will Aslaner have an answer to the sharp words, or will Frimpong carry his psychological war to a winning finish?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1543"></oktfightcomponent><h2>JUSTIN DETZEL VS. KACPER FRĄTCZAK</h2><p>A fight after which one of them will taste defeat for the first time. Justin Detzel (3-0) is another talent from Fightschool Hannover, and even Will Fleury counts him among the gym’s brightest prospects. At the last Hannover event, he turned around a fight with Mate Kola that wasn’t going his way and finished it in the third round with a rare Suloev stretch. Facing him is “The Polish Robocop” Kacper Frątczak (3-0), a multiple-time kickboxing world champion. In his OKTAGON debut in Szczecin, he defeated Zoran Solaja by TKO in the third round. A grappler against a pure striker. Who keeps the zero in the loss column?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1495"></oktfightcomponent><h2>KAROL RYŠAVÝ VS. SAMUEL BARK</h2><p>A postponed fight that is finally happening. Karol “Bomby” Ryšavý (15-10-1) and Samuel Bark (13-4) were supposed to meet back in 2025, but the Swede withdrew with an injury. The winner of the third season of OKTAGON Challenge will make his 23rd walk under the yellow-and-black banner. In January in Düsseldorf, he choked out Deniz Ilbay in a fight he said could have been his last had he lost, and in Bratislava he then fought Daniel Schordje to a draw. Bark is a Swedish Thai boxing champion, a former WBC International Muay Thai champion and a UAE Warriors champion, and he was the first man to beat Sanikidze at featherweight. He arrives in Hannover on a two-fight skid, though, the latest a hard KO by Radek Roušal, and he needs a win just as badly as his opponent.</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1528"></oktfightcomponent><h2>DANIEL MAKIN VS. PETR BARTONĚK</h2><p>Hannover experience against Czech determination. Hannover veteran Daniel Makin (10-17) has 27 professional fights behind him and has shared the cage with names like Nezhad and Khalid Taha. The four-time champion of a German promotion is also a big draw for the home crowd. Facing him is Petr Bartoněk (8-7), a Czech fighter with a wrestling base and Muay Thai experience, who first appeared in OKTAGON back in 2020. When he returned to the organization in February, though, Endrit Brajshori choked him out in just 55 seconds. Both men are still waiting for their first win in an OKTAGON MMA bout. Who will finally get it in Hannover?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1490"></oktfightcomponent><h2>HACI AKSEKER VS. JONATAN KUJAWA</h2><p>An elite boxer meets world-class karate. Haci Akseker (3-1) from Fightschool Hannover has won all three of his professional fights by first-round KO, and even Max Holzer and Gjoni Palokaj regularly feel his punches in training camp. In May, however, he narrowly lost a split decision to Raphael Federico. Jonatan “Jaguar” Kujawa (5-3) holds a second-degree black belt in karate, tried to make the national team and trains in the same gym as Michał Materla and Tomasz Narkun. His OKTAGON debut in Szczecin ended in a decision loss to Henrique Madureira. Both are coming off a loss, and neither will want to give an inch.</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1492"></oktfightcomponent><h2>JAN HOLZER VS. JÁN ŠVAGERKO</h2><p>The Holzer family night starts as early as the prelims. Jan Holzer (0-0), the younger brother of the main event challenger, opened OKTAGON 88 in May with an amateur win over Paul Kulze, while Max closed out the event a few hours later. His original opponent, Rastislav Zvara, got injured, so Ján Švagerko (0-0) jumped at the chance. He is a product of Spartakus Fight Gym and a participant in the first season of Tipsport Cage Game. He lost his fight on the reality show, but he was still one of the strongest stories of the whole series. In Hannover, both make their professional debuts. Will Jan handle the pressure of his famous name, or will the Slovak spoil the party for the home crowd?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1551"></oktfightcomponent><h2>ISLAM DJABRAILOV VS. KENJI BORTOLUZZI</h2><p>Two experienced debutants at featherweight. Islam Djabrailov (11-6) has spent his entire career at Fightschool Hannover and is one of the main sparring partners of Hugo Vach, Max Holzer and Gjoni Palokaj. The former German champion returns to the cage after a year and a half and will fight in OKTAGON for the first time, in front of his home fans. Facing him is Swiss veteran Kenji Bortoluzzi (12-7-1), who has been fighting professionally since 2013. The champion of German, Austrian and Swiss promotions has twenty fights under his belt and a dangerous submission arsenal. Will the hometown fighter shake off the long layoff, or will the Swiss make full use of his experience?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1571"></oktfightcomponent><h2>JOSEFINE KNUTSSON VS. YASMIN GUIMARÃES</h2><p>The former world No. 16 at strawweight against the former world No. 22. Josefine “Thunder” Knutsson (8-2) went 2-1 in the UFC and has a rich kickboxing career. Her OKTAGON debut in Liberec ended bitterly, though, when Mileide Simplicio choked her out five seconds before the end of the first round. Heading to Hannover to face her is Brazilian debutant Yasmin Guimarães (10-4), who gained experience in Jungle Fight and LFA and has shared the cage with former OKTAGON title challenger Leidiane Fernandes. She proved her toughness in an LFA title fight, going all five rounds with a dislocated arm. Will the Swede get back to winning ways, or will the Brazilian claim a big scalp right away?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1573"></oktfightcomponent><h2>MATHEUS SEVERINO VS. ABDUL BADAKHSHI</h2><p>The champion’s older brother, Matheus Severino (15-5), beat Shawn Marcos da Silva on points in Hamburg in March, at the same event where Igor won the belt. The champion of three Brazilian promotions and former LFA title challenger now sits at No. 4 in the flyweight rankings. His opponent is debutant Abdul Badakhshi (9-4), who has previously fought for the WOW title and has also competed in BRAVE and ACA. In front of the home crowd, he will want to spoil the Brazilians’ family trip. Will Matheus kick off a Severino night, or will Badakhshi stop him in Hannover?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1581"></oktfightcomponent><p></p><p><strong>Twelve fights, two pairs of brothers and a battle for the bantamweight belt. The ZAG Arena is completely sold out, but you don't have to miss a single second. Watch OKTAGON 97 live on PPV at </strong><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://OKTAGON.TV"><strong>OKTAGON.TV</strong></a><strong> on Saturday, November 7, from 6:00 p.m. and be part of the action with us!</strong></p><okteventcomponent eventid="146"></okteventcomponent>

An undefeated hometown talent against the youngest champion in history. Two pairs of brothers on one card. A war of words that, after months of heated messages, is finally moving into the cage, and a clash between two fighters with spotless records.

HANNOVER FIGHT CARD BREAKDOWN: WILL GERMANY CROWN ITS FIRST CHAMPION?

<p><span>The title fight pits two men against each other who both have a brother on the same card. But there’s more waiting for you: a former baker, a physiotherapist nicknamed Jaguar and a fighter who accidentally knocked out his own coach before his debut. OKTAGON 97 kicks off on Saturday, November 7 at the ZAG Arena. How many of these stories do you already know?</span></p><oktresponsiveimagecomponent url="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/cc48df6a-9f98-4318-9257-35ab0d9df343/cs.1793802361516.png" mobileurl="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/0f70e6d3-1722-451e-addc-ee35b00e1f6b/cs.1793802369151.png" link="" croppedcorners="true" enablecornersmobile="false" smallercorners="false"></oktresponsiveimagecomponent><h2>FAMILY NIGHT: TWO PAIRS OF BROTHERS ON ONE CARD</h2><p><span>Only four pairs of brothers have ever competed on the same OKTAGON event. In Hannover, two of them will share a card for the first time. Brazilian champion <strong>Igor Severino (10-1)</strong>, the youngest male champion in the organization’s history, fights on the same night as his brother <strong>Matheus Severino (15-5)</strong>, who is six years older. The city of Bauru has inducted Igor into its hall of fame, and at the ceremony his coach called the Severinos “a family of winners”.</span></p><p><span>The home side’s answer is called Holzer. <strong>Max Holzer (12-0)</strong> fights for the belt in Hannover, the city where he grew up, while his younger brother <strong>Jan Holzer (0-0)</strong> makes his professional debut. The brothers already shared a card in May, when Jan opened the event and Max closed it. Max can only celebrate the anniversary of his first professional win once every four years. He turned pro on February 29, 2020, a leap day, at Hannover’s Swiss Life Hall. <strong>Daniel Makin (10-17)</strong> fought that same night, and now he is back on the same card as Holzer.</span></p><h2>BATMAN, A DINOSAUR AND GHOSTFACE</h2><p><span>Holzer’s walkouts are a chapter of their own. He has come to the cage as Batman and as Buzz Lightyear, and once he was carried out on the shoulders of his brother, who was wearing an inflatable dinosaur costume. He has even ridden to the cage on a scooter.</span></p><p><span>But he won’t be the only costume expert in Hannover. His younger brother Jan faces Slovakia’s <strong>Ján Švagerko (0-0)</strong> from the first season of Tipsport Cage Game. It was his girlfriend who pushed him into fighting, and today the two of them make videos for social media together. On the reality show, he walked out dressed as Ghostface from the horror movie Scream.</span></p><h2>FROM THE BAKERY TO THE CAGE AND A JAGUAR WITH A DEGREE</h2><p><span>Švagerko trains at Spartakus Fight Gym, just like <strong>Karol Ryšavý (15-10-1)</strong>. Ryšavý played football as a striker from the age of six and turned down offers from Petržalka and Dunajská Streda. After school he worked in an Austrian bakery and then as a courier. He only came back home when he heard that Spartakus was opening in Trnava. In Hannover he steps into his 23rd OKTAGON fight, and only Ronald Paradeiser has had more. He also holds the organization record for submission attempts (28).</span></p><p><span>Poland’s <strong>Jonatan Kujawa (5-3)</strong> has degrees in both physiotherapy and dietetics, is a Polish champion in Olympic karate and tried to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. The nickname “Jaguar” fits: he studies how animals move and brings it into his fighting. Outside the cage, he loves fashion. His opponent <strong>Haci Akseker (3-1)</strong> has finished all three of his wins in the first round, in an average of 1 minute and 39 seconds. Their bout will be the 1200th fight in OKTAGON history.</span></p><h2>LOCKER ROOM KNOCKOUT AND A LEG BEHIND THE HEAD</h2><p><span>Kickboxing world champion <strong>Kacper Frątczak (3-0)</strong>, known as “The Polish Robocop”, had one of the most bizarre debuts imaginable. While warming up in the locker room, he accidentally knocked out his own coach, who was out cold for three minutes and only came to just before the walkout. Across the cage stands home fighter <strong>Justin Detzel (3-0)</strong>, who turned around a losing fight in Hannover in May with a rare Suloev stretch that left his opponent with his leg behind his head. Detzel and Akseker both turned pro on November 8, 2025, so the day after the event they both celebrate their first anniversary. Detzel and Frątczak both enter the cage at 3-0, but one of them is about to lose his perfect record.</span></p><h2>THINGS YOU HAVEN’T HEARD YET</h2><ul><li><p><span>The ZAG Arena is older than both men in the main event. It opened in April 2000 for the EXPO world fair, and the first thing fans saw there was a boxing title fight between Michalczewski and Rocchigiani.</span></p></li><li><p><span>Six fighters on the card train at the local Fightschool Hannover: both Holzers, Palokaj, Akseker, Detzel and Djabrailov. That’s a quarter of the card.</span></p></li><li><p><span>Daniel Makin started his career 1-12. He didn’t give up and went on to become a four-time We Love MMA champion.</span></p></li><li><p><span><strong>Samuel Bark (13-4)</strong> is a champion in three sports and won the UAE Warriors belt with a broken hand.</span></p></li><li><p><span>The card features the winners of both the 900th and the 1000th fights in OKTAGON history: Max Holzer and Samuel Bark.</span></p></li></ul><p><span><strong>Hannover comes alive with the yellow-and-black show for the third time. OKTAGON 97 kicks off on Saturday, November 7 at the ZAG Arena and promises a night to remember. Secure your seat while you still can! Tickets are available at the link below.</strong></span></p><okteventcomponent eventid="146"></okteventcomponent>

The title fight pits two men against each other who both have a brother on the same card. But there’s more waiting for you: a former baker, a physiotherapist nicknamed Jaguar and a fighter who accidentally knocked out his own coach before his debut.

HANNOVER FUN FACTS: TWO PAIRS OF BROTHERS, A DINOSAUR AND A LOCKER ROOM KNOCKOUT

<p>„If you bite me, I'll knock your teeth out!“ That was Max Holzer's message to the man he picked out himself. For this fight, the unbeaten star of German MMA is leaving featherweight behind, putting his zero on the line and going after his first belt. At home, in Hannover. Across the cage stands Igor „The Hannibal“ Severino, the youngest male champion in OKTAGON history, who has looked a level above everyone around him in his last two fights. On top of that, both men have a brother on the card. The bantamweight title fight goes down on November 7 at the ZAG Arena, and only one of them will take the belt home.</p><oktresponsiveimagecomponent url="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/3d3accb8-eb79-4166-b964-2974da2dd581/cs.1793705112977.png" mobileurl="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/a8cfa5e2-e8ee-4cbd-9871-4222be2812e8/cs.1793705124391.png" link="" croppedcorners="true" enablecornersmobile="false" smallercorners="false"></oktresponsiveimagecomponent><h2>MAX „MADE IN GERMANY“ HOLZER: THE HANNOVER KID WHO ASKED FOR THE BELT</h2><p>Max Holzer (12-0) was born in Warburg, but he moved to Hannover at the age of ten and it has been his city ever since. His childhood wasn't easy. The way off the streets came through the <strong>Fightschool Hannover gym and coach David Palokaj</strong>, who also gave him the nickname „Stifler“. It was for his wild nature and his resemblance to the character from American Pie. He made his pro debut on a leap day, February 29, 2020, in Hannover of all places, and choked his opponent out in the first round.</p><p>His OKTAGON debut came in January 2024 at OKTAGON 52, where <strong>he choked out Corey Fry in the second round</strong>. In Frankfurt he submitted <strong>Eemil Kurhela</strong> with the same technique and <strong>Mohammed Trabelsi</strong> by TKO in the third round. Fans also fell for his walkouts: he has entered dressed as Batman and as Buzz Lightyear, and he even rode to the cage on a scooter. In April 2025 he headlined an event for the first time and <strong>choked out Deniz Ilbay in the fourth round</strong> in Dortmund. Emotions kept boiling long after the fight. Then health problems stopped him, and he had to pull out of the autumn fight with Khalid Taha. His answer came this May in Hannover. He took the UFC veteran apart on the feet, broke him with a knee to the body in the first round and earned a Performance of the Night bonus.</p><p>He is 6-0 in OKTAGON and <strong>has now gone 2,443 days without a loss</strong>, the second-longest active streak in the promotion. Right after beating Taha, he called for Severino. He says the zero on his record doesn't matter to him, he wants the belt. He is leaving featherweight to his gym partner Gjoni Palokaj and <strong>cutting down to bantamweight for the first time in OKTAGON</strong>. His younger brother Jan also makes his pro debut on the same card, so the whole Holzer family will be on the line at the ZAG Arena.</p><h2>IGOR „THE HANNIBAL“ SEVERINO: THE YOUNGEST KING FROM THE AMAZON</h2><p>Facing him is a champion who <strong>has been fighting professionally since the age of fifteen</strong>. Igor Severino (10-1, 1 NC) comes from Juruti in the Amazonian state of Pará and trains in Bauru with Chute Boxe João Emilio, a school known for relentless pressure on the feet. He had his first pro fight in December 2018 and choked out his opponent in under two minutes. In the Brazilian promotion Jungle Fight he won four fights without letting a single one go to the judges, and <strong>walked away with the flyweight belt</strong>. A stoppage win on <strong>Dana White’s Contender Series opened the door to the UFC</strong>, but his run there ended after his very first fight, with a disqualification. To this day it is the only loss of his career. Instead of breaking, he turned it into his brand. He took on the nickname „The Hannibal“ and walks out to the cage in a mask.</p><p>He stepped into the yellow-and-black cage in December 2024 at OKTAGON 65 at Prague's O2 Arena and right off the bat <strong>defeated former champion Jonas Mågård</strong>. It was the first decision win of his career. Then came a long wait. The title fight was cancelled and rescheduled several times, and he didn't return to the cage for fourteen months. This March in Hamburg, though, he left nothing to chance. <strong>He stopped the experienced Khurshed Kakhorov by TKO in the second round</strong>. At twenty-two years old, he became <strong>the youngest male champion in OKTAGON history</strong>. The whole family had reason to celebrate, because his brother Matheus Severino also won on the same card.</p><p>In June in Bratislava came a champion vs. champion clash. Against flyweight king Zhalgas Zhumagulov he controlled the entire first round, but in the second his body shot landed low and his opponent couldn't continue. The fight ended in a no contest and the belt stayed with the Brazilian. <strong>He has finished nine of his ten wins before the limit</strong> and sits fourth in the pound-for-pound rankings. Now, though, he faces something he has never experienced in OKTAGON: <strong>an arena that will stand against him</strong>. He comes to Hannover with his brother at his side again, as Matheus takes on Abdul Badakhshi on the card.</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1476"></oktfightcomponent><h2>TWO FAMILIES, ONE CAGE, ONE BELT</h2><p>Both stand 170 centimetres tall, both are finishers, and both have already turned up the heat on social media. Holzer has made seven opponents tap and has spent almost forty-four minutes in ground control in OKTAGON. Severino has five wins by strikes before the final bell. The German has already gone into the fourth round once, while the Brazilian has never fought beyond three. <strong>Their brothers Jan and Matheus will be pacing nervously in the locker rooms too</strong>, each heading into a fight of his own. Max <strong>Holzer wants to take the belt</strong> in front of his own city, and <strong>Igor Severino is coming to defend it</strong>. Will Hannover crown its own kid, or will Hannibal carry the crown out of the lion's den?</p><p><strong>Hannover is in for a night it will remember for a long time. OKTAGON 97 lights up the ZAG Arena on November 7 with a title fight that has absolutely everything, and you can be sitting just a few metres from the cage. Don't wait while seats are still available. Get your tickets at the link below.</strong></p><okteventcomponent eventid="146"></okteventcomponent>

„If you bite me, I'll knock your teeth out!“ That was Max Holzer's message to the man he picked out himself. For this fight, the unbeaten star of German MMA is leaving featherweight behind, putting his zero on the line and going after his first belt.

ALL OR NOTHING: HOLZER TAKES ON HANNIBAL SEVERINO AT HOME IN HANNOVER

<p><span>Seven decisions, four first-round finishes and one split decision. The judges in Munich were kept busy right up to the final fight of the night. On top of that, the new welterweight champion proved that losing the opening round, knockdown included, doesn’t have to mean a thing. How did the judges see the Halloween edition of OKTAGON 96 at Munich’s SAP Garden on October 31?</span></p><oktresponsiveimagecomponent url="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/744d199c-1a24-4661-8dbc-73bea3d79c4c/cs.1793627144339.png" mobileurl="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/9c26ce54-1cd2-48f4-9acc-88980539c00b/cs.1793627149702.png" link="" croppedcorners="true" enablecornersmobile="false" smallercorners="false"></oktresponsiveimagecomponent><h2>AMIRAN GOGOLADZE VS. JESSIN AYARI</h2><p><span>The welterweight title fight could hardly have started any worse for the Georgian. Around the minute-and-a-half mark, Jessin Ayari dropped him with a heavy shot. He was only a few punches away from a finish and took the opening round on all three scorecards, although none of the judges went as far as 10-8. Those were the last points he would collect. From the second frame on, Amiran Gogoladze was the sharper and busier fighter. He took the round unanimously, and the third stanza began with the fight level. Then “Sniper” started targeting his opponent’s lead leg, and from that moment on the scorecards tilted only one way. Rounds three, four and five, the last of which saw Ayari land one final hard shot, all went to Gogoladze on all three cards. Identical 49-46 scores across the board mean a unanimous decision and a new king of the welterweight division.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1563" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>RONALD PARADEISER VS. TYRONE PFEIFER</h2><p><span>Rony Paradeiser stepped into his record 25th OKTAGON fight with a clear game plan, and the scorecards leave no room for doubt. Three takedowns in the opening frame earned him the first round on all three cards. In the second, Tyrone Pfeifer was dangerous on the feet, but the Slovak veteran tied him up again, controlled him with all his experience and banked another unanimous round. In the final five minutes, he practically glued himself to his opponent and gave him no room to get anything going. All three judges gave him all three rounds, and the unanimous 30-27 snapped his two-fight losing streak.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1505" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>LAZAR TODEV VS. SIMON BIYONG</h2><p><span>The only split decision of the night in Munich, and a true heavyweight chess match. Two of the three judges gave the more cautious opening round to Simon Biyong, who showed slightly more initiative, while the third saw it for Lazar Todev. The Bulgarian came out more active in the second, but the tally on the cards stayed 2-1 in favor of the Italian. Only this time, the judges split differently. Heading into the final round, two of the three judges had the fight level at 19-19, while the third had Biyong ahead 20-18. Everything came down to the last five minutes. Todev upped his punch output and won over all three judges. That was enough for a narrow 29-28 win on two cards, while the third judge scored it by the same margin for Biyong. “Punisher” celebrates his fourth straight win.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1501" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>GÖKHAN AKSU VS. RENE RUNGE</h2><p><span>The judges had nothing to write down here. Gökhan Aksu swarmed Rene Runge with punches from the opening bell, put him on the canvas and finished the fight with heavy ground and pound. Referee Piotr Jarosz waved it off at 1:58 of the first round, and “Abinator” now has fifteen wins inside the distance.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1564" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>MICHAEL DEIGA-SCHECK VS. LUKÁŠ CHOTĚNOVSKÝ</h2><p><span>The Munich matador built a lead from the start that proved decisive. Calf kicks, higher output and a late takedown earned him the opening round on all three cards. He took the second just as unanimously, answering a hard rear hand from Chotěnovský with a knockdown and working his way to his opponent’s back. That meant he entered the final round two points up on every card. Lukáš Chotěnovský pressed forward in search of the finish and won the third round on all three cards, but it wasn’t enough for a comeback. Identical 29-28 scores mean a unanimous decision for Michael Deiga-Scheck, who snapped a three-fight losing streak.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1523" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>MAREK BARTL VS. BRIAN MANNING</h2><p><span>The scorecards stayed blank. After an early takedown attempt came up short, Marek Bartl eventually got on top of Brian Manning, landed a hard elbow and finished the job with a flurry of strikes. Referee Kamil Zuziak stopped the fight at 3:03 of the first round, handing the Irish showman the first stoppage loss of his career.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1498" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>ENDRIT BRAJSHORI VS. CHRISTIAN MACH</h2><p><span>A wild opening round full of momentum swings never made it to the scorecards. Debutant Christian Mach pushed Endrit Brajshori against the fence and rocked him in one of the exchanges, but then the tables turned. Brajshori landed a hard uppercut, followed it with a right hand and dropped his opponent. He pounced immediately, and referee Pavel Touš stopped the fight at 4:38 of the first round.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1530" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>HENRIQUE MADUREIRA VS. DANIEL SCHORDJE</h2><p><span>“Mad Max” was well on his way after two rounds. More accurate kicks and punches earned him the opening frame on all three cards. He took the second just as unanimously, repeatedly dragging Daniel Schordje to the mat. That meant the Brazilian entered the third round with a 20-18 lead on every card. There, the Austrian finally made it on top, and two of the three judges gave him the round. The third still saw it for Madureira, who stayed in control even from his back. Final scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 mean a unanimous decision for Henrique Madureira.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1502" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>IVAN KLEVETS VS. RONALDO FERREIRA</h2><p><span>Ronaldo Ferreira stepped in on the day of the event and managed to make life uncomfortable for Ivan Klevets early on. The Brazilian took the fight to the mat and controlled from top position for a while. The Ukrainian sambo specialist reversed the position, however, and with two minutes left climbed into a dominant spot himself. That convinced two of the three judges, while the third saw the opening round for Ferreira. From the second frame on, there was nothing to argue about. Klevets repeatedly took his opponent down, controlled him and won both remaining rounds on all three cards. He walks away with a unanimous decision and his sixth straight win.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1567" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>KEVIN HANGS VS. BURAK KIZILIRMAK</h2><p><span>Hangs’ return to the promotion after almost four years gave the judges no work at all. Burak Kizilirmak was the more accurate fighter from the start, worked his way into top position, escaped a guillotine and answered with a barrage of strikes. Referee Kamil Zuziak stopped the fight at 1:54 of the first round, and the debutant celebrates a TKO win.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1529" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><h2>MARAT NESSAR VS. ABDULMALIK ALIEV</h2><p><span>The start of the fight belonged to Marat Nessar. A minute in, he rocked his opponent with two hard punches and took the opening round on two of the three cards. From the second round on, though, Abdulmalik Aliev held the reins. He took the fight to the mat, threatened a rear naked choke and won the round unanimously. Heading into the final five minutes, two of the three judges had the fight level at 19-19, while the third had the Viennese talent in front. In the third round, Aliev dominated from top position, threatened an arm triangle, and all three judges rewarded him with a 10-8. Scores of 29-27, 29-27 and 30-26 in Aliev’s favor mean a unanimous decision in his yellow-and-black debut.</span></p><oktscorecardfightcomponent fightid="1508" smallerversion="true"></oktscorecardfightcomponent><p></p><p><span><strong>You won’t have to wait long for more action. On Saturday, November 7, we return to Hannover’s ZAG Arena, where unbeaten hometown star Max Holzer challenges bantamweight champion Igor Severino. Secure your seat and be there when the belt is on the line! Get your tickets at the link below.</strong></span></p><okteventcomponent eventid="146"></okteventcomponent>

Seven decisions, four first-round finishes and one split decision. The judges in Munich were kept busy right up to the final fight of the night. On top of that, the new welterweight champion proved that losing the opening round, knockdown included.

MUNICH THROUGH THE JUDGES’ EYES: SNIPER DIDN’T DROP A ROUND AFTER THE KNOCKDOWN

<p><span>Five rounds, one knockdown and a belt for the man who was on the brink of defeat early on. Amiran “Sniper” Gogoladze survived a devastating shot from Jessin Ayari, turned the title fight around and was crowned the new king of the welterweight division. Rony Paradeiser won his record-setting 25th fight in the organization, Gökhan Aksu ran through his opponent in under two minutes and legend Marek Bartl became the first man ever to finish Brian Manning. Halloween night at Munich’s SAP Garden also delivered four finishes and two winning debuts. Check out how every fight at OKTAGON 96 played out.</span></p><oktresponsiveimagecomponent url="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/cba49768-7ea6-40e0-bf16-e6f8d8abb669/cs.1793489961786.png" mobileurl="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/d4f0c779-56a8-4dec-b947-eb417ab968ee/cs.1793489967667.png" link="" croppedcorners="true" enablecornersmobile="false" smallercorners="false"></oktresponsiveimagecomponent><h2>AMIRAN GOGOLADZE VS. JESSIN AYARI</h2><p><span>The main event delivered drama right from the start. About a minute and a half in, Jessin Ayari landed a devastating shot that sent Amiran Gogoladze to the canvas. The late replacement from nearby Nuremberg hunted for the finish with strikes and a choke, and he was only a few punches away from ending it. The Georgian showed tremendous heart, survived the critical moment and scrambled back to his feet. The opening round still clearly belonged to Ayari. The second round was a more cautious battle on the feet and in the clinch, but “Sniper” was now the sharper and busier fighter and took the round. In the third, he went after Ayari’s lead leg, and the UFC veteran was soon visibly struggling with it. Gogoladze’s better accuracy earned him that round as well as a close fourth. The two opened the fifth with a firefight. Halfway through the round Ayari landed hard and pressed his opponent against the fence, but the Georgian reversed the situation and took him down. Ayari got back up, yet found no answer to turn things around. After five rounds of war, the welterweight division has a new king. Amiran Gogoladze stays unbeaten in OKTAGON and leaves Munich with the championship belt!</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1563"></oktfightcomponent><h2>RONALD PARADEISER VS. TYRONE PFEIFER</h2><p><span>Both fighters traded quick, hard shots from the opening seconds. After a brief scramble against the fence, Rony Paradeiser landed a textbook takedown around the midway point of the round. Pfeifer made it back up, but the Slovak veteran dragged him down again thirty seconds before the horn to bank the opening round. The German rocket remained dangerous on the feet in the second, so Paradeiser took the fight back to the mat. There he controlled his opponent with veteran savvy and gave him practically nothing to work with, taking the second round as well. He was just as composed in the third, staying glued to Pfeifer and shutting down every attempt to get anything going. The former lightweight champion snapped a two-fight losing streak in his record-setting 25th OKTAGON fight and ended Pfeifer’s winning run in the process. He picks up an important decision win, his 18th under the yellow-and-black banner.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1505"></oktfightcomponent><h2>LAZAR TODEV VS. SIMON BIYONG</h2><p><span>The heavyweight clash began with a cautious feeling-out process from both men. In a tight opening round, Simon Biyong showed slightly more initiative and accuracy and took it on two of the three scorecards. Lazar Todev came out more aggressive in the second, but the Italian fighter kept him from building any real momentum as both men continued their careful exchanges on the feet. This time the scorecards swung in the Bulgarian’s favor. In the third, both men upped the pressure and found good shots, but Todev gradually took over by increasing his output. This close chess match ended with a split decision, and “Punisher” Lazar Todev had his hand raised. The heavyweight number one has now won four in a row.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1501"></oktfightcomponent><h2>GÖKHAN AKSU VS. RENE RUNGE</h2><p><span>Gökhan Aksu set a blistering pace from the first second and immediately put his opponent under pressure on the feet. Replacement Rene Runge had no answer to the barrage. “Abinator” soon put him down, settled into top position and finished the fight with heavy shots. The lightweight number two claims a TKO win in under two minutes, the 15th inside-the-distance victory of his career. After his loss to Legierski in Berlin, Aksu is once again closing in on a title shot.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1564"></oktfightcomponent><h2>MICHAEL DEIGA-SCHECK VS. LUKÁŠ CHOTĚNOVSKÝ</h2><p><span>Michael Deiga-Scheck opened the fight with a series of nasty calf kicks. Both fighters kept up a high volume of punches and kicks, but the home veteran was noticeably busier and more accurate. A takedown with a minute left in the round sealed the opening frame for him. In the second, Chotěnovský landed a good right hand, but Deiga-Scheck countered instantly and dropped his opponent. He took the Czech fighter’s back, but Chotěnovský scrambled to his feet and caught him with a hard elbow against the fence. After another tussle along the cage, the Munich mainstay took that round too. The tables turned in the final round, as Chotěnovský marched forward looking for the finish. Deiga-Scheck weathered the storm, snapped a three-fight losing streak and celebrated a valuable decision win in front of his home crowd.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1523"></oktfightcomponent><h2>MAREK BARTL VS. BRIAN MANNING</h2><p><span>Marek Bartl shot for a takedown right away, but couldn’t finish it, and the fight turned into a battle against the fence and exchanges on the feet. The experienced veteran eventually got Manning down. He landed a hard elbow, took his opponent’s back and unleashed a final flurry that forced the referee to step in. The OKTAGON legend wins this hotly anticipated fight by first-round TKO and hands the Irish showman the first stoppage loss of his career.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1498"></oktfightcomponent><h2>ENDRIT BRAJSHORI VS. CHRISTIAN MACH</h2><p><span>Both fighters stormed out at a ferocious pace, and heavy shots were flying from the opening seconds. Debutant Christian Mach soon closed the distance and pressed his opponent against the fence. Back in open space, the two traded big shots, and this time it was Brajshori who was rocked. Mach drove him back to the fence, but the next exchange turned the tables. Brajshori landed a hard uppercut, followed it with a right hand and sent Mach to the canvas. Gökhan Aksu’s teammate pounced immediately and finished the fight with strikes before the end of the first round. After an opening round full of twists, Brajshori celebrates a TKO win.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1530"></oktfightcomponent><h2>HENRIQUE MADUREIRA VS. DANIEL SCHORDJE</h2><p><span>The featherweight bout began with a battle on the feet, where Henrique Madureira was clearly the more accurate fighter. The Brazilian landed hard kicks and punches and capped the round with a spinning elbow to take it convincingly. In the second, “Mad Max” took his opponent down, but Schordje quickly got back up. After a brief exchange the fight hit the mat again, and the Austrian found no answer there either, so the second round also went to Madureira. In the third, Schordje finally made it to top position, and when the Brazilian stood up, he put him back down. Madureira, however, stayed in control even from his back, and the final exchange on the feet brought no late twist. The 2025 Submission of the Year winner made a successful return to Munich’s SAP Garden and takes the decision win.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1502"></oktfightcomponent><h2>IVAN KLEVETS VS. RONALDO FERREIRA</h2><p><span>Brazilian Ronaldo Ferreira stepped in on fight day, replacing his teammate Hafeni Nafuka, who missed weight. Ivan Klevets greeted him with several hard shots right from the start. Ferreira immediately took the fight to the ground and controlled the action from the top for a while. The Ukrainian European sambo champion reversed the position and took a dominant spot himself with two minutes left, swinging the opening round his way on two of the three scorecards. From the second round on, Klevets was firmly in control. He repeatedly dragged his opponent to the mat, and when the referee stood them up with a minute left in the round, he immediately took him down again. The final round followed the same pattern. Klevets managed the fight with experience and kept the Brazilian under control throughout. He leaves Munich with a decision win and extends his winning streak to six fights.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1567"></oktfightcomponent><h2>KEVIN HANGS VS. BURAK KIZILIRMAK</h2><p><span>Hangs’ return to the yellow-and-black cage after nearly four years did not go according to plan. Burak Kizilirmak was the more accurate fighter from the opening seconds, while Hangs struggled to tie him up in the clinch. Kizilirmak soon worked his way into top position on the ground. Hangs attempted a guillotine from the bottom, but the Turkish-born fighter escaped the choke and responded with a final flurry that prompted the referee to stop the fight. Kizilirmak claims a valuable first-round TKO win in his OKTAGON debut.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1529"></oktfightcomponent><h2>MARAT NESSAR VS. ABDULMALIK ALIEV</h2><p><span>The Munich card kicked off with a lightweight clash between two young prospects. Marat Nessar made an early statement a minute in, rocking his opponent with two hard shots. Aliev tied him up against the fence, however, and before the end of the round put Nessar in trouble himself, though the home fighter narrowly took the opening frame. From the second round on, the Vienna prospect was firmly in charge. He took the fight to the ground early and threatened with a rear naked choke, which Nessar barely escaped. In the third, Aliev once again dominated from top position and also threatened with an arm triangle. He wins his yellow-and-black debut by decision and picks up the second professional win of his career.</span></p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1508"></oktfightcomponent><p></p><p><span><strong>Munich’s Halloween night is in the books, and the next spectacular show is already knocking on the door. Exactly one week from now, on November 7, we return to Hannover’s ZAG Arena, where Igor Severino takes on hometown star Max Holzer in the main event of OKTAGON 97. This is a fight you can’t afford to miss! Don’t wait and secure your seat in the stands. Tickets are available at the link below.</strong></span></p><okteventcomponent eventid="146"></okteventcomponent>

Five rounds, one knockdown and a belt for the man who was on the brink of defeat early on. Amiran “Sniper” Gogoladze survived a devastating shot from Jessin Ayari, turned the title fight around and was crowned the new king of the welterweight division.

OKTAGON 96 RESULTS: GOGOLADZE SURVIVES HELL TO BECOME NEW WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION

<p>The yellow-and-black juggernaut is celebrating Halloween in Bavaria. OKTAGON 96 erupts on 31 October at Munich’s SAP Garden and delivers a fight for the vacant welterweight throne, with a UFC veteran from nearby Nuremberg stepping in at the last minute. You can also look forward to legends of the organisation, a heavyweight clash in which neither fighter has ever been knocked out, five hungry debutants and much more. Here is the full rundown of what awaits you in Munich.</p><oktresponsiveimagecomponent url="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/7228556e-322f-4a23-a0df-28763e91b3cb/cs.1793369761938.png" mobileurl="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/ffd3e8b9-3ae5-465d-adab-03521245d878/cs.1793369775805.png" link="" croppedcorners="true" enablecornersmobile="false" smallercorners="false"></oktresponsiveimagecomponent><h2>AMIRAN GOGOLADZE VS. JESSIN AYARI</h2><p>The main event of the night and a battle for the welterweight throne vacated by Kaik Brito. Georgian marksman Amiran “The Sniper” Gogoladze (18-3) was first set to challenge Brito in Brno, then to face the unbeaten Felix Klinkhammer, who has since been injured. The division’s number one is undefeated in OKTAGON and has eight finishes inside 100 seconds. In Szczecin, after almost two years out of the cage, he put former champion Ion Surdu down in the very first round. The shot at the belt goes to UFC veteran Jessin “Abacus” Ayari (19-6) from nearby Nuremberg. In an ironic twist, he was supposed to fight Klinkhammer himself in July, only to pull out injured. Ayari is 2-0 in OKTAGON. In 2012 he beat Kerim Engizek, and nine of his wins have come by submission, while Gogoladze has never lost by submission. Will the Sniper live up to his number-one status and take the belt, or will Ayari, seventeen years into his career, win the title just down the road from home?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1563"></oktfightcomponent><h2>RONALD PARADEISER VS. TYRONE PFEIFER</h2><p>Legend versus German rocket. Former lightweight champion Ronald “Rony” Paradeiser (23-11) steps in for a record 25th OKTAGON fight. No one in the organisation’s history has more wins (17) or knockdowns (11). The Slovak, however, arrives on a two-fight skid, after losing to Kaik Brito in a welterweight title fight and to Jack Grant in Bratislava. Tyrone Pfeifer (8-1), on the other hand, rides a three-fight win streak. He finished Marek Bartl on his OKTAGON debut and beat former UFC fighter Niklas Stolze in Berlin in just 22 seconds. Will Rony snap his losing streak, or will Pfeifer claim the biggest scalp of his career?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1505"></oktfightcomponent><h2>LAZAR TODEV VS. SIMON BIYONG</h2><p>The heavyweights offer a true test of durability. Neither Bulgarian “Punisher” Lazar Todev (14-7) nor his opponent has ever lost by KO. The two-time title challenger and division number one has won three in a row since his loss to Will Fleury, most recently beating Martin Buday in Bratislava. He now enters the yellow-and-black cage for the ninth time, more than any other heavyweight in OKTAGON history. Simon “Hemlé” Biyong (12-6), a Cameroon native representing Italy, studied fine art, and his nickname means “Lion Heart” in his native dialect. He has gained experience in RIZIN, Bellator and the PFL, and in Hannover he dropped Olympian Yevhenii Orlov with a left hook in the first round. Will the artist with dynamite in his hands prevail, or will the “Punisher” take another step towards a title shot?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1501"></oktfightcomponent><h2>GÖKHAN AKSU VS. RENE RUNGE</h2><p>A late change and a new opponent for one of the most feared strikers at lightweight. Gökhan “Abinator” Aksu (14-7-1) was set to face Niko Samsonidse, but Samsonidse got injured and experienced German Rene Runge (14-8-1) has stepped in. The bout will take place at a catchweight of 73 kilograms. The lightweight number two has won all fourteen of his fights inside the distance and knocked out Denis Frimpong at the SAP Garden last November. The Turkish fighter trains in nearby Rosenheim and last fought for the belt in Berlin, eventually losing to Mateusz Legierski in the first round. Runge is a former We Love MMA lightweight champion, has been fighting professionally for almost ten years and finished his opponent in the first round at the end of August. Will the debutant seize the chance of a lifetime, or will Aksu add another finish and stake his claim to another title shot?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1564"></oktfightcomponent><h2>MICHAEL DEIGA-SCHECK VS. LUKÁŠ CHOTĚNOVSKÝ</h2><p>Munich’s matador is back. Michael “Vivo” Deiga-Scheck (11-8) has built a strong fan base in the Bavarian capital. He has years of K-1 and Muay Thai fights behind him and now runs his own gym in the city. He lost his last fight to Teo Smith right here in Munich, and that is not how he wanted to say goodbye to his career. The home veteran comes in on a three-fight losing streak, this time at bantamweight. Across the cage stands Lukáš Chotěnovský (8-3), a training partner of Patrik Kincl who works as a graphic designer outside the cage. In Szczecin he weathered a fierce onslaught from the favoured Michał Hawro and choked him out with an RNC in the third round. Will the hometown fighter end his losing streak in front of his own fans, or will Chotěnovský leave Munich with another valuable scalp?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1523"></oktfightcomponent><h2>MAREK BARTL VS. BRIAN MANNING</h2><p>A banger at middleweight. Marek Bartl (17-16) is a living OKTAGON legend. He was the very first man ever to step into the yellow-and-black cage and has both a Knockout and a Submission of the Year to his name. You won’t find a boring fight on his résumé. Last time out in Bratislava, he stopped Jozef Wittner. Brian Manning (6-1) has quickly become one of the division’s most prominent names thanks to his entertaining walkouts, sharp tongue and hard-hitting finishes. All six of his wins came inside the distance, but in Bratislava he lost for the first time as a pro when Robert Pukač beat him by decision and exposed the holes in his game. Will the Irish showman strike back after his Bratislava stumble, or will the experienced Bartl teach him another lesson?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1498"></oktfightcomponent><h2>ENDRIT BRAJSHORI VS. CHRISTIAN MACH</h2><p>The welterweights bring a clash between a lightning-fast finisher and a debutant eager to erase an old loss in Munich. Endrit Brajshori (6-2) trains in Rosenheim alongside Gökhan Aksu, and his last two OKTAGON fights lasted a combined 2:28. He knocked out Jan Malach in 93 seconds and choked out Petr Bartoněk in 55. Now he takes on debutant Christian Mach (10-5) from the Planet Eater team. Mach arrives with BRAVE CF experience and two straight finishes, including a hard KO of Enrique Marín. The catch? Aksu knocked him out in 65 seconds back in 2022. Will Mach shake off the shadow of the past, or will Aksu’s teammate hand him a similar ending?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1530"></oktfightcomponent><h2>HENRIQUE MADUREIRA VS. DANIEL SCHORDJE</h2><p>The featherweights offer a duel between a master of unexpected submissions and a man who has yet to taste defeat in OKTAGON. Brazilian “Mad Max” Henrique Madureira (10-7) wrote himself into the history books at the SAP Garden when, hanging upside down, he locked in the only standing triangle in the organisation’s history and won the 2025 Submission of the Year award. He returns to Munich on a winning streak, most recently beating Jonatan Kujawa in Szczecin. Daniel “Bad Moon” Schordje (10-1-1) from Graz is a champion of a Hungarian promotion and has never lost by TKO or submission. In OKTAGON he has beaten Závičák and drawn with Karol Ryšavý. Will Madureira find another way out of an impossible position, or will the Austrian prove that losing is not in his vocabulary?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1502"></oktfightcomponent><h2>HAFENI NAFUKA VS. IVAN KLEVETS</h2><p>A new addition to the card and a duel between two men linked by a common opponent. Hometown fighter Hafeni “The Namibian Nightmare” Nafuka (12-5) from Munich Allstars is one of the most dangerous grapplers in his division. The German with Namibian roots started combat sports at the age of twelve and has submission wins over Kevin Enz and Matěj Kuzník in OKTAGON. Last time out, at Štvanice in Prague, he lost a three-round decision to Tomáš Mudroch. Ukrainian European sambo champion Ivan Klevets (5-3) racked up 89 wins in the amateur ranks and represents MMA Monster and PriMMAt Gym. At Štvanice he knocked out none other than Enz in the first round, the same Enz whom Nafuka had choked out in the opening round last year. The bout will be contested at a catchweight of 72 kilograms. Will Nafuka make up for his Štvanice loss in front of the home crowd, or will Klevets extend his winning streak?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1565"></oktfightcomponent><h2>KEVIN HANGS VS. BURAK KIZILIRMAK</h2><p>A return after three years and eight months. Kevin “Alpha” Hangs (15-9) made his OKTAGON debut in 2023 right here in Munich, where Marek Bartl stopped him by TKO in the first round. The former footballer, who only took up MMA at 27, has gone 7-2 since then and returns to the yellow-and-black cage determined to make up for that failed debut. He faces debutant Burak Kizilirmak (12-3) from Vienna’s MT Gym 23. Ronald Paradeiser knows that name well. In 2016, Kizilirmak choked him out with a guillotine when the then 18-year-old Slovak was having only his third professional fight. Will Hangs show that he returns to OKTAGON a better fighter, or will Kizilirmak prove he belongs on the big stage?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1529"></oktfightcomponent><h2>MARAT NESSAR VS. ABDULMALIK ALIEV</h2><p>The night kicks off with a clash of two debutants who have just two professional fights between them. Marat Nessar (1-0) is a social media star with more than 550,000 followers on TikTok, and in August in Magdeburg he finished his professional debut with elbows in the first round. Facing him is 21-year-old Abdulmalik Aliev (1-0) from Vienna, the youngest fighter on the card. He choked out his opponent in the first round of his BRAVE CF debut and now returns to the cage after two years. Will Nessar prove that his popularity carries over into the cage, or will Aliev spoil his yellow-and-black premiere?</p><oktfightcomponent fightid="1508"></oktfightcomponent><p></p><p><strong>Halloween in Munich promises a night to remember. OKTAGON 96 erupts on 31 October at the SAP Garden and brings a card packed with finishers, legends and new faces. Don’t miss the crowning of a new welterweight champion and be there live in the arena. Get your tickets via the link below.</strong></p><okteventcomponent eventid="138"></okteventcomponent>

The yellow-and-black juggernaut is celebrating Halloween in Bavaria. OKTAGON 96 erupts on 31 October at Munich’s SAP Garden and delivers a fight for the vacant welterweight throne, with a UFC veteran from nearby Nuremberg stepping in at the last minute.

MUNICH CARD FIGHT BY FIGHT: A HALLOWEEN BATTLE FOR THE VACANT THRONE

<p><span>A Georgian who lived in Merab Dvalishvili’s house. A replacement who was once supposed to fight the very man he is now stepping in for. A Slovak who says Jon Jones “beat him like a dog”, and a referee from the presidential protection unit. Halloween night in Munich will belong mainly to the welterweights, but there is much more to discover. OKTAGON 96 explodes on October 31 at SAP Garden. These are the biggest fun facts from the card.</span></p><oktresponsiveimagecomponent url="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/e985e8b3-939e-4f05-8e3d-14ba97676b49/cs.1793184809497.png" mobileurl="https://assets.oktagonmma.com/COMMON_IMAGE/6669b42a-250e-4afd-8cf4-7c63182c0247/cs.1793184817450.png" link="" croppedcorners="true" enablecornersmobile="false" smallercorners="false"></oktresponsiveimagecomponent><h2>FOUR WELTERWEIGHT WARS AND A NEW KING</h2><p><span>Four of the ten fights take place at the 77-kilogram limit, which means eight welterweights will step into the cage, five of them German. On top of that, the main event will crown the division’s new king. <strong>Amiran “The Sniper” Gogoladze (18-3)</strong> had his first pro fight in his hometown of Akhaltsikhe at just sixteen years old. His ten-second KO is still the fastest in the history of the M-1 organization. Before his comeback from injury, he prepared in Las Vegas, where he lived in Merab Dvalishvili’s house and trained with Khalil Rountree Jr.</span></p><p><span>Stepping in for the injured Felix Klinkhammer is <strong>Jessin Ayari (18-6)</strong>. Fate has a sense of humor: he was supposed to face Klinkhammer in Cologne at OKTAGON 91, but back then it was Ayari who was forced out by injury. He knows the replacement role well. He made his UFC debut in Hamburg as a late stand-in for Emil Meek, and won. He has been competing as a professional since 2009, longer than anyone else on the card. Sport runs in the family, too: his uncle and cousin represented Tunisia in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Olympic Games. If he wins in Munich, he will become the first German to hold the OKTAGON welterweight belt.</span></p><h2>JONES “BEAT HIM LIKE A DOG”, KIZILIRMAK ONCE CHOKED HIM OUT</h2><p><span><strong>Ronald “Rony” Paradeiser (23-11)</strong> will step into his 25th MMA fight in OKTAGON, more than anyone in the organization’s history. He also holds the record for most wins (17). In America, he even shared a sparring session with Jon Jones himself. “I sparred with Jones once, he beat me like a dog,” Paradeiser admitted. The only way he could stop Jones, he joked, would be with a knife or a gun.</span></p><p><span>But there is also a man on the card who has already stopped Paradeiser once. Debutant <strong>Burak Kizilirmak (12-3)</strong> choked out the then 18-year-old Slovak with a guillotine in April 2016, in what was only Paradeiser’s third pro fight. Ten years later, the two will share a card again, though not the cage. Paradeiser faces <strong>Tyrone Pfeifer (8-1)</strong>, who stopped former UFC fighter Niklas Stolze in 22 seconds at OKTAGON 90. It turned out to be the final fight of Stolze’s career. Kizilirmak takes on <strong>Kevin Hangs (15-9)</strong>.</span></p><h2>A PAINTER, A GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND A SOCIAL WORKER</h2><p><span><strong>Simon “Hemlé” Biyong (11-6)</strong> graduated from the academy of fine arts in Genoa. His parents forbade him from painting, so at school he drew manga comics for his classmates to earn money for pencils and paints. In his native Cameroonian dialect, his nickname means “lionheart”, and his son carries it too. He only took up combat sports at the age of 25.</span></p><p><span>Graphic designer <strong>Lukáš Chotěnovský (8-3)</strong> grew up on Van Damme VHS tapes, but what really led him to MMA was getting knocked out at a disco and waking up in hospital. “My first KO came on the pavement outside a pub,” he jokes. Before every fight, he shaves his legs. “We may end up on the ground, we’re sweaty, and it makes things harder for my opponent if he slips on my skin. It takes me fifteen minutes, and even if it raises my chances of winning by just one percent, it’s worth it,” he explains.</span></p><p><span><strong>Niko Samsonidse (13-4)</strong> has worked with children and young people as a social worker and coach for more than ten years. He is mostly vegetarian and chose the nickname “One Love” because he wants to treat everyone with respect.</span></p><h2>THE PRESIDENT’S BODYGUARD REFEREES A MILESTONE FIGHT</h2><p><span>The second fight referee Václav Přibyl takes charge of in Munich will be his 200th in OKTAGON. The police officer, who now serves in the Czech presidential protection unit, also has a fighting career behind him. Fittingly, he will celebrate the milestone in Germany, as he considered his title with the German organization Free Fight Championship the biggest success of his career in the cage. Once, after a fight, he responded to a burglary while on duty with his face still battered. When the homeowner saw him, she burst into tears and asked whether they were real police officers or had come back for the rest of her things.</span></p><h2>YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW THIS</h2><ul><li><p><span><strong>Michael Deiga-Scheck (11-8)</strong> came to OKTAGON 31 as a coach. When his fighter missed weight, he volunteered himself and beat Radek Roušal in a replacement bout under Underground rules. In MMA, however, he is 0-2 against Czech fighters, and now he faces Chotěnovský.</span></p></li><li><p><span><strong>Gökhan Aksu (14-7-1)</strong> will compete at his fourth of OKTAGON’s five events in Munich. No one on the card has more Munich appearances.</span></p></li><li><p><span><strong>Brian Manning (6-1)</strong>, who faces <strong>Marek Bartl (17-16)</strong>, is a huge horror movie fan. He couldn’t have asked for a better date than Halloween.</span></p></li><li><p><span>Endrit Brajshori’s <strong>(6-2)</strong> last two OKTAGON fights lasted just 2 minutes and 28 seconds combined.</span></p></li><li><p><span>Debutant <strong>Abdulmalik Aliev (1-0)</strong> was born in 2005 and made his pro debut at the age of 19.</span></p></li></ul><p><span><strong>A spooky night, four welterweight battles and the crowning of a new champion. OKTAGON 96 kicks off on Saturday, October 31, at Munich’s SAP Garden. Secure your seat in the stands and be there! Get your tickets at the link below.</strong></span></p><okteventcomponent eventid="138"></okteventcomponent>

A Georgian who lived in Merab Dvalishvili’s house. A replacement who was once supposed to fight the very man he is now stepping in for. A Slovak who says Jon Jones “beat him like a dog”, and a referee from the presidential protection unit.

VALENTINE’S DAY IN OKTAGON: LOVE IS IN THE GYM!

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