Oktagon 74 Preview: Summer Party, Tipsport Gamechanger 1/4 Finals

Oktagon hosts their annual summer party in Prague this weekend. The Štanice tennis stadium has been home of this extravaganza for a many years, and even though they said they were no longer using the venue two years ago, they’re back for more. There are ten fights on offer, including one for an OKMMA title.

Cecile Bolander (4-1) is the reigning, defending OKMMA Bantamweight Champion and comes in with a great reputation. The Norwegian has been hotly tipped since her amateur days where she dominated the IMMAF scene. She’s generally well rounded with her biggest strength being the armbar, with many foes falling victim to the hold. Lucia Szabová (9-0) is the Czechs-Slovak darling of women’s MMA. The Bratislava lady is a winner and has competed in pro Muay Thai previously. The 27-year-old has a wicked arm bar of her own, and is a very tough nut to crack. Her striking is something to be feared.

The biggest selling point of this event are the four Tipsport Gamechanger quarter final bouts. Kerim Engizek (22-4) is the OKMMA Middleweight Champion, a man who’s also won gold at EMC, GMC and NCFC. Born in Germany of Turkish heritage, he trains out of UFD Düsseldorf, a well renowned gym. The 34-year-old is a good boxer who works his levels well, combining that with a competitive wrestling game. He’s competitive in the clinch and he beat Kamil Oniesczuk to book his place here. Mick Stanton (14-8) is a former Cage Warriors champion and is as tough a competitor as you’re likely to see. The Atherton man can put a gruelling wrestling game on you, holding you down while smashing the ground and pound. On the feet, the 38-year-old is known for his hammers that we call fists, capable of turning your lights off instantly. A nightmare matchup for everyone in the tournament. He was victorious against Miloś Petrášek in the last round.

Dominik Humberger (10-2) had his WWF/WCW moment earlier this year when he was victorious in the KSW Liberec event in Friday, and showed up at Oktagon on the Saturday. The 29-year-old is a heavy hitting striker that has serviceable grappling, most notably his ground and pound. The Czech is a finisher who beat Slovakian legend “Pirát” Samuel Krištofič in the opening round. Mark Hulme (13-3) has been turning heads since joining the promotion, showcasing an accomplished submission game in his recent mixed martial arts bouts. The South African is a former EFC champions, and he’s a natural born finisher that has wide of array of chokes he can use, from guillotines to the rear naked. The TUF veteran got the job done against Andreas Michailidis in the round of sixteen.

Krzysztof Jotko (26-6) is a very hard man to fight. The Elbląg man isn’t flashy, he’s not that exciting, but he’s effective. The 35-year-old’s game is based on control over the fifteen minutes. The Pole is a decent striker and grappler, and he wants to smother opponents against the cage or on the floor. He’s a fine breakdancer and got a scalp against Ion Surdu in his last bout. Marek Mazuch (9-3) was unsuccessful in the last round but benefits from a drop out. The Slovakian is a heavy hitting and aggressive striker who loves to entertain. The 29-year-old has competed in pro Muay Thai before, and rarely goes to decision in MMA contests with seven wins to his name. He’s an electric fighter.

Piotr Wawrzyniak (14-6) is a former OKMMA interim champion and also held gold in Babylon MMA. The Czerwony Smok man is a longtime training partner of the likes of Mateusz Gamrot and Borys Mańkowski, and he has a stellar grappling game with a massive left hand to boot. The 34-year-old booked his sport by beating Marek Mazuch. Hojat Khajevand (9-4) was born in Tehran and now calls Germany his home. The Iranian is known as an exceptional wrestler with a good submission game, however he’s shown some power punching in his Oktagon stint with two knockouts. He got through to the quarters by eliminating Łukasz Siwiec.

Radek Roušal (4-2) is an up-and-coming character coming from Brno. The Czech walks out to the cage in a straightjacket, and when he breaks free he gets to work on his Muay Thai game. The 30-year-old got his first MMA knockout in April, and he has a decent wrestling game in his arsenal. Adrian Hamerski (4-1) hails from Radom in Poland, a region renowned for tough people and good fighters. The Strife MMA veteran is a a tricky striker who starts fights quickly. The 30-year-old puts on a pace and has a submission game to fall back on.

Dawid Zawada (19-11) is a legend of the Central European scene alongside his brother Martin. The 35-year-old is a UFC, PFL and KSW veteran, and could use a win having only won one of five. The German has power in his striking offence, and he likes to finish fights with his fists. The defence has let him down, struggling to withstand a striking barrage aimed at him. Kamil Oniszczuk (10-5) is another man who has lost too many recently. The Pole is a talented kickboxer who is a master in the kicking game. The 28-year-old has been training in Kill Cliff in Florida in an attempt to reverse his recent fortunes, and he’ll be looking to unleash his impressive striking game here.

Daniel Ligocki (4-1) is an exciting fighter coming out of Czechia. The 28-year-old has competed in pro Muay Thai, and has shown some nice submissions in his MMA outings, in particular his choke game. He’s a heavy puncher. Andre Langen (3-2) is a KSW veteran who has competed in pro boxing and kickboxing. The German can bludgeon you on the feet or via ground and pound in the wrestling game. 

Raphael Federico (5-1) has trained in SBG HQ in Inchicore in recent times. The Italian is an IMMAF veteran who has scored four knockouts already in his fledgling career. The 25-year-old has good submissions to complement his stand-up game. Vojtěch Khol (2-0) also represented his country at IMMAF level. The Czech is a whizz at the armbar, however at this level that’s a rare submission. He will try to use his power to change things in this fight.

A pair of newcomers will illuminate the YouTube free fight. Czechia’s Michaela Hlaváčiková (debut) has a win over Lucia Szabová on the Muay Thai scene, proving to be very successful in the striking arts. Niamh Kinehan (debut) comes in with a great reputation and has fought UFC’s Cong Wang previously on the Muay Thai scene. The Englishwoman is known as a heavy hitter and with a bright MMA future.

Oktagon 74 is live from Prague on Saturday night from 17:00 Irish time on Oktagon.tv.