Circus Oktagon returned after a 6-week break with two tournaments in two days. The highlights of Saturday’s program at Prague’s Štvanica were the fight for the featherweight title and the returns of Karlos Vémola after a heavy defeat and Ivan Buchinger after an injury.
October 45
Main card
do 66 kg: Mate Sanikidze (GEO) – Losene Keita (BEL) – TKO, injury (Round 1, 1:08) – He defended his title 1 time
do 91 kg: Carlos Vémola (JUN) – Lucas Alsina (ARG) – on body (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
do 70 kg: IVAN BUCHINGER (SVK) – Abou Tounkara (FRA) – TKO (2nd round, 4:46)
do 93 kg: Daniel Škvor (CZE) – Nermin Hajdarpašič (SWE) – guillotine choke (1st round, 1:41)
do 120 kg: Lazar Todev (BUL) – Wallyson Carvalho (BRA) – ankle lock (1. kolo, 4:57)
do 70 kg: Jan Široky (CZE) – Ondřej Petrášek (CZE) – TKO (2nd round, 4:46)
Prelims
up to 67 kg: Michal Jančuška (CZE) – Eduard Kexel (GER) – Body (27-30, 27-30, 27-30)
do 70 kg: Akonne Wanliss (ENG) – Giorgi Gogočuri (GEO) – TKO (1st round, 2:07)
do 66 kg: ROMAN PAULUS (SVK) – Callum Mullen (ENG) – on points (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
do 77 kg: James Lewis (ENG) – Vladislav Kanchev (BUL) – TKO (2nd round, 1:54)
up to 66 kg: Ivan Klevets (UKR) – Nikolaos Serbezis (GER) – armbar (2nd column, 4:13)
Results and complete report from Friday’s Octagon 45:
news-item-description">Circus Oktagon returns after a 6-week break with two tournaments in two days. Friday’s program at Prague’s Štvanica culminated in fights for the bantamweight title and the challenger post in the middleweight division. On Saturday, Karlos Vémola, Ivan Buchinger and Losene Keita will be in action. Watch on ŠPORT.sk.
Vémola struggled with a huge outsider
Karlos Vémola (35-7) defeated the Argentinian Lucas Alsina (11-5) in the first match after a heavy defeat with Patrik Kincl. Experts and some fighters, led by arch-rival Vémolu Kincl, criticized the fight. As the 84th best middleweight fighter in the world, Vémola faced an opponent who is not even in the world rankings (last year he was 213th in light heavyweight).
The opening round had the expected course. After a few seconds, Vémola pushed the tall defender to the net and got him under him. On the ground, he worked him with elbows or short punches. The same scenario was repeated in the 2nd round. However, in his half, the Argentine unexpectedly turned Vémola and added a couple of punches.
Alsina celebrated after the siren as if he had won the whole match. He began to believe in himself, and Vémola had trouble delivering a takedown at the beginning of the 3rd round. After a minute, he got his opponent under him and the rest of the round was under his control. He opened the opponent’s head, but was unable to finish it. He won on points easily three times 30-26.
Vémola was defended by his closest opponent Slovak Langer
Vémola just lay on top of the Argentine and controlled him for a significant part of the match, the fans booed. Kincl was not amused either, the Oktagon director caught him playing with his mobile phone during the match. Spectators reacted with beeps to the course of the duel even after the announcement of the verdict.
“When wannabe experts say I have an easy opponent, he always gives me one of the toughest fights. Thanks to everyone who clapped. I understand those who rumbled that you expected a quicker end,” said Vémola.
The “Terminator” got into a winning mood for the first defense of the light heavyweight title, on October 7 at the Ondrej Nepela Winter Stadium in Bratislava, he will be challenged by the interim champion Slovakian Pavol Langer (12-9). Štvanica greeted him with applause.
“People should not forget who Karlos Vémola is. They shouldn’t boo him, he’s still the matador of the scene. He doesn’t deserve it, he does it for you.” the humble Langer from Košice stood up for the first Czech in the UFC. Vémola returned to the winning streak, before losing to Kincl, he did not find a defeater in 7 fights in a row.
Buchinger’s triumphant return
Legendary Slovak fighter Ivan Buchinger (40-8) returned after a break of more than a year caused by injuries with a victory over Frenchman Aboubakar Tounkar (9-5). The former lightweight and featherweight Octagon champion was a huge favorite. The match was “on” after a long layoff. Buchinger, ranked 206th in the world, faced an opponent ranked 341 places lower.
However, he started slowly. He didn’t have time to dodge the straights, in the middle of the 1st lap his movement was shaky for a moment. He slowed Touankara down as he took the fight to the ground. There, however, he was unable to reach several promising positions from which he had finished matches in the past. He finally beat his opponent to the ground at the end of the 2nd round, alternating blows to the head and body.
Buchinger achieved the jubilee 40th victory in his professional career. He is the first and only two-time champion of the Octagon. Losene Keita deprived him of one title, the other was taken away due to inactivity due to injury. Even at the age of 37, however, he aspires to return to the throne.
“Let’s wait a little longer, but maybe something will come of it. I’m old, I can’t train like before. But I’m still hitting, I’m a good grappler,” said Buchinger, ex-champion of Cage Warriors or M-1 and former opponent of Conor McGregor.
news-item-description">Icon, rebel, rogue. Opinions about Conor McGregor differ, but there is no more famous MMA fighter. A single Slovak or Czech shared the cage with him. Ivan Buchinger 10 years ago.
The next performance will be on October 7 at the Ondrej Nepela Winter Stadium in Bratislava. He accepted the challenge of Czech Jakub Dohnal (12-3) in the middleweight rankings.
A sporting tragedy in the fight for the title
The long-awaited and postponed fight for the featherweight title ended in a small sporting tragedy. Reigning lightweight champion Losen Keita (11-1) failed in his bid for a second belt. He threw the Georgian Mate Sanikidze (11-2) to the ground at the beginning of the duel, but when he tried to stand up, he injured his leg and could not continue. The main duel of the evening lasted only 68 seconds.
Despite the first successful defense of the title, Sanikidze was disappointed with the progress. After months of verbal exchanges, he showed sympathy for the challenger. Keita suffered the first defeat in his professional career. The patch was a “yes” from his partner, whom he asked to marry despite the unfortunate moment.
The golden boy of Slovak MMA ended his losing streak
He won the 5th series of Oktagon Challenges, they call him the greatest talent of the Slovak MMA scene. 23-year-old Roman Paulus (10-3) returned to winning streak after two losses.
news-item-description">The story of Roman Paulus (21) in the initial stage of his career is reminiscent of Conor McGregor. Character, work discipline and the will to improve will decide whether he will imitate the great successes of the Irish MMA phenomenon.
The match with Callum Mullen (5-2) did not excite. The Englishman entered the Octagon with a loss, the threat of defeat bound both fighters. The opening round was checked by Mullen on the mesh, Paulus then slightly increased his aggression. He had the upper hand in his stance, but after a few punches he tied his opponent up unnecessarily on the mesh every time. Despite this, he claimed a surprisingly smooth victory on points (30-27, 29-28, 30-27).
From the best stripper to the best MMA fighter?
He says he was one of the best strippers in Europe. Now he wants to be the best MMA fighter. Englishman Akonne Wanliss (7-2) entered the Octagon with a victory over Georgian Giorgi Gogočuri (4-3). After a technical knockout in the 1st round, he declared that he would gradually work his way to the title of the Octagon and defeat Losen Keita.
news-item-description">He made a living as a stripper and appeared on the cover of several well-known magazines as a model. In addition, he excels in the field of combat sports and is considered by many to be one of the biggest prospects of the English MMA scene. Akonne Wanliss (6-2) will make her debut under the banner of Octagon on Saturday Štvanice.
Wanliss trains with UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards. The arrival of an Englishman with the nickname Jedi was unusual, he came with a lightsaber and in a Star Wars costume.
2023-07-29 22:05:00
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