Will Fleury wins heavyweight belt to become double champion at OKTAGON 68
OKTAGON MMA returned to the German city of Stuttgart this past weekend (Saturday, March 8) for a great event witnessed by more than 16,000 fans in attendance. The third ever double champion in promotional history was crowned at OKTAGON 68 and a series of impressive displays set up some brilliant fights over the coming months.
In the OKTAGON 68 main event, Will Fleury (15-3, 1NC) won the vacant heavyweight belt to add to his light heavyweight hardware by defeating Lavar Todev (11-7) over twenty-five minutes. Both men delivered an outstanding contest in a tough, gritty affair where the pair showcased their power, durability and heart. The Irishman was ahead on all scorecards going into the final round and Todev came on strong during the final minutes, but it wasn’t enough to sway the bout in his favour. Fleury has had an historic first eleven months in the organisation and the SBG Ireland product hasn’t ruled out trying to add a third belt to his collection.
Alan Omer (25-5) had an inspirational comeback from brain surgery in the evening’s co-headliner when he bested Łukasz Kopera (11-9) with a unanimous decision victory at a catchweight of 74kg/163lbs. The Stuttgart native demonstrated his well-rounded skillset in front of a partisan crowd to extend his winning streak to seven. After not competing for four years, the UFC and Bellator veteran hopes that now is the time for him to cement his legacy and make up for missed time.
In a middleweight feature bout, Makhmud Muradov (28-8, 1NC) stopped Yasubey Enomoto (23-16) at the start of round two with an emphatic knockout. ‘Mach’ stunned his adversary with a big overhand right before following up with a flying knee to close the show. This win secured a huge interim title fight for Muradov with Patrik Kincl which will take place in Eden football stadium on June 14.
Elsewhere on the card, Jessin Ayari (18-6), had a successful promotional debut by knocking out Andreas Stahl (17-6) in the third frame of their welterweight matchup. Denis Frimpong (5-2) handed Robin Frank (5-1) his first professional defeat at lightweight while Daniel Ligocki (4-1) picked up his second finish in as many weeks. Alina Dalaslan (1-0) secured a TKO victory as she moved into the pro ranks.
OKTAGON 68 Results
Main Card
Main Event
Vacant Heavyweight Title
Will Fleury (15-3, 1NC) defeated Lazar Todev (11-7) by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) to win the vacant belt
Co-Main Event
Catchweight (74kg/163lbs)
Alan Omer (25-5) defeated Łukasz Kopera (11-9) by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Middleweight
Makhmud Muradov (28-8, 1NC) defeated Yasubey Enomoto (23-16) by knockout (punch and knee) at 0:40 of round two
Catchweight (82kg/181lbs)
Daniel Schwindt (7-2) defeated Marek Bartl (13-14) by TKO (punches and elbows) at 4:41 of round two
Welterweight
Jessin Ayari (18-6) defeated Andreas Stahl (17-6) by knockout (punches) at 4:01 of round three
Preliminary Card
Lightweight
Denis Frimpong (5-2) defeated Robin Frank (5-1) by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Bantamweight
Elvis Silva (15-8, 1NC) defeated Roman Paulus (11-5) by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Featherweight
Jakub Batfalský (7-1) defeated Joel Batobo (4-1) by TKO (corner stoppage) at 5:00 of round two
Catchweight (88kg/194lbs)
Daniel Ligocki (4-1) defeated Erik Lorenz (1-1) by submission (d’arce choke) at 2:05 of round one
Bantamweight
Alina Dalaslan (1-0) defeated Kamila Šimková (3-4) by TKO (punches and knees) at 3:49 of round three
Catchweight (73kg/161lbs)
Kevin Enz (4-3) defeated Benny Bajrami (6-4) by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
