Fans were interested in both domestic favorites and star returners from the UFC, Makhmud Muradov and Lucía Pudilova. They all won, but in general they worked really hard. Uzbek fighter Muradov is back to the Octagon after five years and was welcomed by former KSW champion Scott Askham.
Muradov kept him on the ground for two rounds and maintained his points lead even in the last round, which took place more in stance. “We are very happy that Mach is back. He performed a crazy performance, he stayed on the ground for ten minutes with a fighter like Askham and was not in danger, that’s fascinating,” Novotný praised Murad’s mature performance.
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Nevertheless, there were spectators in the hall who expected more from the UFC veteran, and Muradov also heard whistles and boos. “I don’t notice anything during the match, I do my job. I don’t care who the promoter gives me, he called, gave me a date and here I am. I had an injury, but that’s my problem. The main thing for me is to win. He’s a guy from the top 50, unfortunately that’s how it is sometimes, but I didn’t lie on him for three whole laps. I won, I will enjoy my family and we will move on. Whether you want it or not, I’m home,” Muradov responded.
His opponent accepted defeat on points, which was seen by all three judges alike. “He didn’t surprise me, I expected it like that, he improved wrestling. He won fair and square, I just couldn’t stop him,” said Askham.
It only took 98 seconds
After Saturday’s long evening, it is also clear who will fight for the top spot in the Tisport Gamechanger pyramid. On December 29, Losene Keita from Belgium and Ronald Paradeiser from Slovakia will battle it out for the belt of the lightweight champion under seventy kilograms in the O2 arena.
In the semi-finals in Brno, Keita beat Mateusz Legierský, a Pole who had not yet been defeated in the Octagon, on points. “I tried to fight smart and I think I gave my best performance. I feel great, I’m not injured, I’ll beat Ronaldo again in three months. That’s how it will be,” Keita recalled the victory from the first duel between them. “I know Ronaldo well. I’ve been stalking him since the last match, I know him better than he knows himself. I need thirty seconds and I know how to beat him, believe me,” Keita promised.
However, Paradaiser only needed 98 seconds to knock out Spanish boatman Acoidan Duque in the main event of the evening. He received a bonus of five thousand euros for the performance of the evening, and if he manages the rematch with Keita, another three hundred thousand euros will be added to his account, approximately seven and a half million crowns. “In the three years since my last fight with Keita, I have moved on. I’ll be the one they run into,” Paradaiser said.
Duque regretted that the duel ended so early. “I’m happy to have been at such a fantastic tournament, but I have a bitter taste in my mouth about what happened. I wanted to get a win for all the fans and Spanish MMA, unfortunately what happened happened. That’s how it goes sometimes, I don’t do anything about it and we move on,” said the Spanish fighter.
Perhaps the bloodiest shootout was performed by women. Lucie Pudilová returned to the Octagon after two years and fought an incredible battle with Norwegian Cecilia Bolanderová. The Czech favorite eventually won on points and ended up with a tooth print on her hand. “The fight was difficult, the biggest problem was that I took it very quickly and it was physically very demanding. I enjoyed the match and I’m glad to be back. I feel good, I’m just tired,” said Pudilová.
Until the end of the year, she will fight for the title in bantam weight up to 61.2 kilograms with the so far undefeated Lucía Szabová. “If it was up to me, I would give the performance of the night to Lucia because it was one of the craziest matches. I’m so glad we got to see Lucia wrestle as we know her again, she put on a fantastic performance. At the end of the year, it will be absolutely crazy with Lucía Szabová, and I’m looking forward to the next bantamweight champion,” said promoter Novotný.
Perhaps the biggest applause of the evening was received by Tomáš Hron, home of the Brno hall. The legend of the Czech fight scene apparently faced the last fight of his professional career. The 43-year-old Thai boxer delivered a superb performance and defeated the Dutch fighter Fred Sikking according to the rules of the Underground with a technical knockout announced after the first round. “I’m still catching up a bit, I haven’t absorbed it. I entered the hall and got goosebumps. It was a massacre, I had to get rid of it so it wouldn’t throw me off, I wanted to focus on the match. A lot of people came, I had Fanánek behind me, who sang my favorite song, I enjoyed it in a terrible way,” confessed Hron, who was accompanied to the cage by the frontman of the band Tři sestry Lou Fanánek Hagen.
In the 132nd duel of his professional career, he scored his 101st triumph. However, there is still a possibility that he will add more. “It’s the last dance for now. If there is another, it is in the stars. I have ended my career and will see what the future brings,” announced Hron. “I rank this win very high, it’s one hundred and one wins in Muay Thai or kickboxing, full contact. So many people don’t have something similar and I’m very glad that it was at the Oktagon event in Brno. Eight thousand people came, the hall was sold out, something fantastic,” described the fighter nicknamed Chřestýš.
Hard carving also demonstrated Andrej Kalashnikwho fought with the Greek wounded Ioannis Palaiologos. Chanting “Vagabund” helped the home fighter, Kalashnik won on points and enjoyed it. “Brno loves MMA, people missed the Octagon and they made the atmosphere crazy. I was overmotivated. We were talking with the coach that you’re either going to screw yourself up or you’re overmotivated. For me it was the second option, but Oktagon belongs to Brno,” Kalashnik rejoiced.
He hopes the victory will propel him to battles with the best. “I want to get together and I don’t have a name that I imagine. I need someone in the top five of the division to move up, but that’s where the sharks are. It’s probably time to change the organization,” Kalashnik joked. “I have to face it like a man,” he added in a more serious tone.
Rondo also highlighted the performance of another domestic fighter, Vladimír Lengál. In the match with the Englishman Corey Frye, he took a hard blow to the stomach and it seemed that he would not resist, but in the middle of the second round, the fighter RK Valetudo Znojmo knocked Frye down with a hard knee, then showered him with punches on the ground and celebrated a technical knockout. “I’m glad that I was able to start in Brno on such a bad card. Coming back from injury, a broken leg, was difficult for me, but I’m glad to have taken the victory. My mom, aunt, wife, both sons were there, my whole family was there. I’m very happy for that,” beamed Lengál.
Brno dominance also confirmed by Radek Roušalwho defeated Frenchman Nezar Bahaji on points, and Jan Stanovský, who defeated Greek Gleb Shadrin on points in his Octagon debut. “It was great. I felt the home support, I can’t imagine a better place for the premiere in the Octagon than Brno. It was great, emotions don’t just fade away,” Stanovský smiled. “I’m happy that all of us from Brno won, it’s great and we’ll all meet in the city,” called Roušal.