Oktagon 64 Preview; Two Title Fights in Munich

Oktagon brings their penultimate show of the year to Munich in the brand spanking new SAP Garden Arena. Oktagon 64 caps a very successful year in Germany, with big plans in motion for 2025. Saturday will see eleven bouts under OKMMA rules, including two for titles.

Hatef Moeil (15-4) defends his OKMMA Heavyweight Championship for the first time, a belt he won against Saturday’s opponent in a unanimous decision last year. The German trains out of the much lauded UFD Gym in Düsseldorf, and he’s known for his heavy hitting style. The 37-year-old has won all four of his promotional bouts, and has ten knockout wins on his résumé. Lazar Todov (11-6) has revenge in mind. The Bulgarian has won nine of his last ten, usually brutalising opponents with his kickboxing. Eight wins have come via knockout. “The Punisher” has a great chin and has only been finished once, and that was by submission.

The vacant OKMMA Welterweight Championship is on the line in the co-main event, and oh my what a fight we have in store. Kaik Brito (17-5) relinquished his title when he got a shot on the Contender Series, however came up short to the impressive Oban Elliott. The Brazilian now comes back to regain what he never lost in the cage. The 27-year-old is a very attractive striker with the power of Zeus in his hands. Fourteen of his stoppages have come via strikes. Ion Surdu (15-6) is one of Europe’s most exciting fighters. The dapper Moldovan only knows violence once that cage door closes. The 29-year-old Ankos MMA standout has an absolute gem of a right hand, constantly upending opponents with his weapon of choice. You also have to beware of head kick, a real instrument of doom.

Alexander Poppeck (17-5) gets the chance to perform in front of a hometown crowd in their brand new arena. The German is a big light heavyweight who swings with mean intent, and has a wrestling threat. The 32-year-old is wicked in his ground and pound, a technique he’s perfected more than most pros. Eleven bouts ended with his fists. His only slip up so far in the promotion was in the interim title fight against Pavol Langer. Mateusz Strzelczyk (14-14-1) took this fight on a couple of day’s notice following Marc Doussis’ withdrawal. The Pole broke his leg last time out in June 2023, but had won three on-the-bounce before then. The 33-year-old is good at submissions, and he’s not afraid of standing in the pocket and getting into a brawl. He’s been bitten more times than he’s succeeded in that realm however.

Max Holzer (9-0) is one of the country’s top prospects and a big character. The German has displayed his grappling prowess with three perfect wins in the Oktagon cage. The 22-year-old is a choking machine and has a beautiful back take. He’s good at using his striking to initiate scrambles. Eugen Black-Dell (10-6) is the latest to try and stop the young prodigy. The fellow German is on a three-fight win streak and has shown a well rounded style so far as a pro. He was an amateur on the GAMMA scene and he’s had some submission defence issues in the past.

Sebastian Herzberg (5-0) is a new heavyweight on the Oktagon scene, winning his debut by injury TKO. The German has good wrestling, lands damage on the floor and has a nice choke game. He’ll be looking for a statement. Patrick Vespaziani (3-2) is an all-or-nothing fighter. The Frankfurt man wants to trade in the centre of the cage, and he trusts that he’ll knock you out before you land on him. It’s not always a flawless plan, however he’s won three and lost two. He wants to get this done in the first round.

Jakub Dohnal (12-5) could easily be walking catwalks as duking it out in a cage. This will be his thirteenth promotional bout. The Czech is only troubled by the top of the division, with his losses coming to champions and contenders. The 33-year-old burst onto the scene as a submission specialist, with an eclectic mix of chokes. Since then he’s used his kickboxing to good effect and mostly goes to decisions. Michael Deiga-Scheck (11-6) was born in Brazil but calls Munich his home nowadays. The 38-year-old is very experienced and has dabbled in all the codes separately, as well as his MMA fights. His striking has been his biggest threat lately, with his left hand causing significant damage in particular. This ameliorates his wicked choke game.

Jamie Cordero (5-2) is a promising talent out of Bremen. The German is an effective kickboxer with highlight reel ability. Three of his wins have come via strikes, most notably his head kick knockout win over Gabriel Török. He’s quick and he’s talented, one of the must-see athletes on the card. Ion Taburceanu (7-2) is another one of those exciting fighters from the Romanian / Moldavian region of the world. He’s going to meet Cordero’s violence with equal and opposite violence, which usually means he’s putting someone to sleep. Six of his wins were via strikes.

Jorick Montagnac (6-2) is an athlete who dominates over fifteen minutes. The Frenchman is 5-1 in Oktagon and has won his last two. The 31-year-old has explosive power, however he’s waiting for everything to click into place to consistently blow opponents away. When that happens, the division is in trouble. Mateusz Duczmal (3-1) trains out of Leeds in England. The Pole comes from a Muay Thai and kickboxing background. He does damage on the feet and he has a massive punch, and he’s never been beaten on the feet in MMA.

Jan Malach (17-14) is a man that just loves to fight, a fact underlined by the fact that MMA is his hobby. A police officer by day, the Czech never shirks a challenge and has won two-in-a-row. He loves to box and when he gets on top, he can overwhelm you and search for the knockout. Ten wins have come via strike. Gökhan Aksu (11-6-1) was born in Türkiye and now calls neighbouring Austria home. The 33-year-old won’t be afraid to stand and bang with Malach as striking is what he likes to do too. He’s very dangerous with his knees, elbows and punches. Alongside that, he does have a ground threat.

Endrit Brajshori (4-1) was born in Germany and is of Balkan heritage, most notably Albania and Kosovo. The Rosenheim man won both his bouts this year and he’s solid pretty much everywhere. He’ll likely try to stay on the feet and use his kickboxing, and he has a nice guillotine in his locker. Marek Bartl (12-13) makes his twelfth promotional walk under mixed martial arts rules. Active since 2012, this veteran will fight anyone and he’ll be using striking as his first option of attack. He’s a tough man, and willing to take risks.

Fedor Duric (6-0) is the latest German prospect to dip his toe into the Oktagon waters. The 20-year-old comes in from NFC on the national scene. The Frankfurt man has a good submission game and he has power on the feet. The world is his oyster. Jan Stanovský (5-1) is on a five-fight win streak and he won his promotional debut by decision last September. The 25-year-old does most of his work on the feet, and he has a powerful kickboxing game that causes big damage. He’s a quick starter.

Oktagon 64 is live from Munich on Saturday night from 17:00 Irish time on Oktagon.tv and DAZN.