The promotion’s debut in Berlin sees one of its biggest stars, double-champ Will Fleury, looking to defend his heavyweight title opposite German-Turkish challenger Kasim Aras, a teammate of Lazar Todev (who himself has tangoed with Fleury in the past). In the co-main event, lightweight champion Mateusz Legierski is hoping to make the first defense of his own title, with the Polish star taking on Gökhan Aksu, a Turkish-born Austrian.

Denis Frimpong, meanwhile, is set to welcome former featherweight challenger Niko Samsonidse to the lightweight division.

Where to Watch Oktagon 90

Oktagon 90 takes place on Saturday, June 20, 2026 at the Uber Arena in Berlin, German. The full card streams live via Oktagon.tv starting at 11:30AM ET, 8:30AM PT. Full results can be found below.

Oktagon 90: Fleury vs. Aras Results

Will Fleury (c) def. Kasim Aras by KO, Round 2, 1:29 – for the Oktagon MMA heavyweight championship
Mateusz Legierski (c) def. Gökhan Aksu by TKO, Round 1, 3:23 – for the Oktagon MMA lightweight championship
Alina Dalaslan def. Djulia Ariana by TKO (doctor’s stoppage), Round 2, 2:39
Niko Samsonidse def. Denis Frimpong by KO, Round 1, 0:53
Tyrone Pfeifer def. Niklas Stolze by TKO (ground n’ pound), Round 1, 0:22
Said-Khusein Akhyadov def. Attila Korkmaz by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Preliminary Card

Arijan Topallaj def. Jan Stanovský by submission (guillotine choke), Round 2, 1:22
Matěj Peňáz def. Alan Silva by TKO, Round 1, 2:30
Ahmad Halimson def. Joseph Donkor by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Zafar Mohsen def. Richie Smullen by KO, Round 1, 2:19
Davlet Karataev def. Daniel Salas by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-24)

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While it is certainly a believable story, Fleury was happy to share that the inside joke from the bio is a bit of a tall tale.

“It’s a complete exaggeration. There was maybe three or four guys. I was giving a friend the piggyback and some guy kicked my legs out from under me,” Fleury explained. “We got up and there was a bunch of guys around us.”

While it seemed like the conflict was going to dissipate, it flared back up pretty quick thanks to his friend getting back in there.

“My friend was a lot more pissed off than I was. Basically we walked away and my friend walked back over – that was bad for him,” he recalled. “They surrounded him, and when they surrounded him, I was like, oh, they’re going to start it.”

Even though he had not been a fighter yet, the Irish star was still realy to end a fight if he needed to for his friend. And although it wasn’t actually 16 guys, the story is better if it is.

“As soon as they grabbed him, I jumped into the crowd. It was a bunch of bodies and because I jumped on top, I made a bunch of guys fall over,” Fleury said. “As they were getting back up, I was hitting them one by one – this was before I even started fighting. But I probably dropped about four guys and then I grabbed my boy and we ran away. Then the story became Will Fleury beat up 16 guys.”

Give him a chance and that number gets bigger by the minute.

“I heard it was 20,” he added with a chuckle. “It was actually 20.”

Fleury’s next fight won’t have to be 16 or 20 people. He’ll face just one – Kasim Aras – in the main event of Oktagon 90. That fight is for the Oktagon heavyweight title and takes place this Saturday. The card begins at noon eastern time on Oktagon TV.

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That has him high up on the card at Oktagon 90 in Berlin, Germany this Saturday, in a fight against Niko Samsonidse that could have title implications down the road.

Samsonidse has fought for titles twice before, at featherweight, and is now moving up to 155lbs, where he’ll be greeted by Frimpong (8-3). “Both times, he’s been knocked unconscious,” Frimpong pointed out in a recent interview with Cageside Press.

“It’s a good feeling to be put this high up on the card against such a highly touted guy, one of Germany’s biggest names, highest touted guys, but I just believe that my skillet’s going to be too much for him. And him coming up from featherweight to fight me, I was already a big lightweight, I’m a big lightweight, so it’s going to be problematic for him, I believe.”

Samsonidse might see a long, lanky fighter greeting him at lightweight, and has claimed Frimpong will be surprised by his own strength. In response, Frimpong noted that “my shots might not put you out, but they f*cking hurt, and I’m going to hurt him over a sustained period of time, break him, and he will be the second German-born Georgian this week to get broken, and maybe even quit on his stool as well.”

That, of course, was in reference to Justin Gaethje vs. Ilia Topuria, which happened just the day before our interview with Denis “The Menace” Frimpong.

“I wasn’t too surprised by it. I wasn’t as surprised as a lot of people were,” he said of the UFC’s main event at the White House. Frimpong called it a “cinematic” moment for Gaethje, “in front of the White House, White House lawn, in front of the President, America, all of that. And he didn’t just catch him with a stray shot, he broke him down systematically, and made him quit on his stool. And once again, there’s a lot of like I said, almost movie, almost like it’s written in the moment, this kind of stuff. And I believe that my win this weekend is also written in the moment.”

“Same week as a German-born Georgian gets broken and quits on his stool on the Monday, in the White House, the first event in front of the White House, a guy who came up to lightweight. And I believe that I’m going to be the guy now that comes in, beats a German-born Georgian in a weight class higher than he should be, breaks him on his stool at the first-ever Oktagon event in Berlin. I think it’s written. It’s destined almost.”

Breaking someone might actually be more preferable to Frimpong than knocking them out clean. That’s something he’s discussed with training partners in the gym recently.

“In my opinion for me, it’s definitely more of a rush, more of an adrenaline rush, knocking someone else clean. Boom, then they just fall, it’s almost like slow motion, like you killed them,” he explained. “But also I really enjoy, and I take great satisfaction, maybe it’s the sadist in me but I really take great satisfaction in systematically breaking someone down, making you quit, seeing and feeling the fight go out of them. You see it in someone’s eyes and their face and the way they start moving, or should I say stop moving, because they almost physically quit. They just try to hold onto your leg or something and you’re like ‘okay, I’ve got you now.'”

“It’s almost like drowning a person,” Frimpong later added. “It’s the equivalent of ‘would you prefer to get a clean headshot kill or would you prefer to slowly torture someone to death?’ And I’m definitely more on the torture someone to death side of things.”

In video games only, we hope.

Watch out full interview with Oktagon 90’s Denis Frimpong above. The event takes place this Saturday, June 20, 2026 in Berlin, Germany.

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While any number of MMA fighters would be thrilled to topple a double champ and claim gold, Aras is in it just for the love of fighting, and to compete against the best. In that sense, perhaps, Fleury’s recent career fits the bill, but it’s not the focus for the Turkish-German fighter.

“I don’t care about careers of other people. I just care about my career. For me, my aim is to fight against the best in the world. Even the title, this title doesn’t interest me,” Aras (11-5) told Cageside Press in a recent exclusive interview. “I just want to be there, fight, and show how good I am. That’s the most important thing in life.”

Aras made the comparison to boxing legend Mike Tyson, who he feels the younger generation has begun to forget.

“One day— when you’re champion, you’re champion, everything’s good. But life is more than to get the belt. One day, nobody will care if I was Oktagon champion or not,” suggested Aras. “People like Mike Tyson were world champion, they hold belts, and now this new generation, you ask 16-year old guys ‘you know Mike Tyson?’ — they don’t know him.”

So in the present, winning belts is all fine and dandy, but to Aras, it’s not a reason to fight. Nor should you be overly focused on the title, he believes.

“This is now, for this time it’s nice, everything is good. But I fight because I love fighting. If I go and I fight, I go for [the] win, this is the first important thing. A lot of people, they just look for the title. Yes, it’s good, but you need to win your match first. This is the more important [thing]. Be focused on your match.”

As far as his match-up with Fleury is concerned, meanwhile, Kasim Aras has a very simple prediction. “TKO.”

Watch our full interview with Oktagon 90 headliner Kasim Aras above. The event takes place at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany this Saturday, June 20, 2026.

The post Oktagon 90’s Kasim Aras Just Wants to Fight the Best: “Title Doesn’t Interest Me” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Diakiese (18-8), who went 8-7 in the UFC from 2016 to 2023 and left the promotion off a win, will face Fedor Duric (9-1) at Oktagon 94 on September 26, 2026 at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany. That’s a stadium show, capacity 60,000, and expected to be another big one for the European promotion.

Oktagon officials announced the booking in a press release issued on Monday.

Posting a 1-1 record since leaving the UFC, Diakiese will be looking to bounce back from a loss to Gadzhi Rabadanov in the PFL World Tournament last April. Eliminated from the grand prix, Diakiese did not get another fight with the promotion (he had fought for Bellator prior, as part of the PFL-run “Bellator Champions Series”). Rabadanov, meanwhile, made it to the final, eventually losing to Alfie Davis.

Diakiese is a former BAMMA champ, dating to his career prior to the UFC.

Serbian-born Duric now calls Germany home, and will no doubt have the crowd on his side come September. He’s won his last two bouts in Oktagon, and is 3-1 overall with the promotion.

No other bookings were announced for Oktagon 94 on Monday, but both Christian Eckerlin and Max Coga are expected to compete at the event.

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Both Igor Severino and Zhalgas Zhumagulov had seen their UFC runs go awry, albeit under very different circumstances. For Severino, biting an opponent during a fight had led to him being dropped by the company unceremoniously. No surprise, given the seriousness of the foul, but Severino leaned into the incident, adopting the nickname “The Hannibal” and wearing a Hannibal Lecter-style face mask ahead of fights.

Zhalgas Zhumagulov had no such controversy in the UFC. Rather, he just couldn’t catch a break. Too many questionable decisions were scored against him, eventually spelling the end of his time with the company.

Both would go on to sign with Oktagon, and both would win titles: Severino at bantamweight, Zhumagulov at flyweight. At Oktagon 89, Zhalgas Zhumagulov moved up, looking to become the company’s next double champ. Severino, meanwhile, was looking to take a bite out of another big-name opponent. Pun fully intended.

Former ranked UFC heavyweight Martin Buday was also on the card, against Oktagon mainstay Lazar Todev.

Where to Watch Oktagon 89

Oktagon 89 takes place on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at the Tipos Arena in Bratislava, Slovakia. The full card streams live via Oktagon.tv staring at 11:30AM ET, 8:30AM PT. Full results can be found below.

Oktagon 89: Severino vs. Zhumagulov Results

Main Card

Igor Severino (c) vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov ends in a No Contest (low blow), Round 2, 2:26 – for the Oktagon MMA bantamweight championship
Jack Grant def. Ronald Paradeiser by submission (Scottish twister), Round 1, 1:44
Lazar Todev def. Martin Buday by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Robert Pukač def. Brian Manning by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Veronika Smolková def. Lisa Kyriacou by submission (arm-bar), Round 2, 3:04
Marek Bartl def. Jozef Wittner by TKO (knee/punches), Round 2, 3:46

Preliminary Card

Radovan Úškrt def. Ondřej Raška by KO, Round 1, 1:49
Rastislav Zvara def. Michal Novotný by TKO, Round 1, 2:15
Adam Pałasz def. Patrick Vespaziani by TKO (punches), Round 1, 1:37
Karol Ryšavý vs. Daniel Schordje ends in a unanimous draw (28-28, 28-28, 28-28)
Ayton De Paepe def. Marco Novák by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Dastan Amangeldy def. Moktar Benkaci by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

The post Oktagon 89: Severino vs. Zhumagulov Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

The program, per Oktagon officials, was created in conjunction with the Czech Anti-Doping Committee, and designed according to WADA and Czech Anti-Doping standards. Sample collectors (doping control officers) will work hand-in-hand with the Czech Anti-Doping Committee, with the athletes being tested at the discretion of said officers.

The program will launch on June 6, the date of Oktagon 89 in Slovakia. The initial phase of the testing program with focus on stimulants (i.e. EPO) that can be utilized immediately prior to a fight, and which clear the body in a short span. Testing will then expand to include include anabolic substances, steroids and other forms of doping.

“This is one of the biggest steps in OKTAGON history toward the professionalization of the sport. In European MMA, we are pioneers in this direction and the first organization in the region to come up with a real anti-doping system according to WADA and Czech anti-doping standards,” Oktagon co-owner and promoter, Ondřej Novotný, was quoted as saying in Thursday’s press release.

“We are starting in Bratislava, then continuing in Germany. We didn’t want to just create a marketing gesture, but a functional and long-term sustainable system. Therefore, we are simultaneously publishing the list of prohibited substances, testing rules and specific penalties.”

A list of banned substances is now available on the Oktagon MMA website.

The post Oktagon MMA Announces Drug Testing Program with WADA Standards appeared first on Cageside Press.

Szabova (11-0), who also holds flyweight gold in Oktagon, will take on UFC veteran Lucie Pudilova (17-11) at Oktagon 92 on August 1, 2026.

Promotion officials announced the title fight booking in a press release issued on Tuesday.

Slovakia’s “Silent Killer” Szabova won the Oktagon MMA women’s bantamweight championship last August, defeating Cecilie Bolander with punches from mount to claim the first of her two championships. A bout with Leidiane Fernandes for flyweight gold had been booked for February; with Fernandes out due to injury, they instead met in April at Oktagon 87. Once again, Szabova took mount and finished the fight with ground n’ pound.

The 28-year old, who has also competed in Muay Thai and kickboxing, has earned all her professional MMA wins under the Oktagon MMA banner.

Pudilova, a Czech star, had two stints with the UFC: first from 2017 to 2020, and later from 2022 to 2024. She returned to Oktagon MMA in in September 2024 and has posted a 3-1 record since, with victories in her last two outings. Most recently, she earned a unanimous decision win over fellow veteran Katharina Lehner back in January.

Oktagon 92 on August 1 takes place in Prague, Czech Republic at the Central Tennis Court Štvanice.

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While no title fight headlined Saturday’s Oktagon card, a grudge match between German featherweight Max Holzer and UFC/RIZIN vet Khalid Taha topped the card. Holzer, who was forced out of a September date with Taha, entered the bout a perfect 11-0. Taha had been a bit testy ahead of Oktagon 88 thanks to Holzer’s earlier withdrawal, making this one a little personal.

Heavyweight Simon Biyong, a Bellator, PFL, and RIZIN veteran, was also on the Oktagon 88 main card on Saturday. Biyong was paired up with Evgeny Orlov; both were looking for their first win in the promotion.

Where to Watch Oktagon 88

Oktagon 88 was set for the Zag Arena in Hannover, Germany on Saturday, May 16, 2026. The card streams live via Oktagon.tv starting at 11:30AM ET, 8:30AM PT. Full results from the event can be found below.

Oktagon 88: Holzer vs. Taha Results

Main Card

Max Holzer def. Khalid Taha by TKO, Round 1, 3:14
Hugo Vach def. Teo Smith by KO, Round 1, 2:50
Simon Biyong def. Evgeny Orlov by TKO, Round 1, 3:45
Altin Zenuni def. Dawid Jarowienko by KO, Round 1, 0:52
Raphael Federico def. Haci Akseker by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Preliminary Card

Christian Draxler def. Daniel Makin by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ivana Petrović def. Danielle Misteli by TKO, Round 1, 3:42
Justin Detzel def. Mate Kola by submission (suloev stretch), Round 3, 2:03
Bedirhan Kabak def. Imran Daurbekov by TKO, Round 3, 1:11
Jan Holzer def. Paul Kulze by TKO, Round 1, 1:54 – amateur bout

The post Oktagon 88: Holzer vs. Taha Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Lucia Szabová already holds bantamweight gold in Oktagon, and was looking to add a second title to her trophy case in the form of the promotion’s vacant 125lb scrap. Looking to put a wrench in the works was Brazilian Leidiane Fernandes, a former Jungle Fights champ making her promotional debut.

At 10-0, Szabová has been looking like Oktagon’s answer to Dakota Ditcheva, and a second belt would give her a real foothold in the promotion.

In the co-main event, meanwhile, former ONE Championship welterweight champ Zebaztian Kadestam made his promotional debut against Dominick Humburger.

Where to Watch Oktagon 87

Oktagon 87 takes place on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at the Home Credit Arena in Liberec, Czech Republic. The full card streams live via Oktagon.tv starting at 11:30AM ET, 8:30AM PT. Full results from the event can be found below.

Oktagon 87: Szabová vs. Fernandes Results

Main Card

Lucia Szabová def. Leidiane Fernandes by TKO, Round 3, 2:12 – for the vacant Oktagon MMA women’s flyweight championship
Dominik Humburger def. Zebaztian Kadestam by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-26)
Radek Roušal def. Samuel Bark by KO, Round 1, 1:15
Josef Hála def. Tomáš Mudroch by KO, Round 2, 1:48 – STAND and BANG rules
Ozan Aslaner def. Vladimír Lengál by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Jan Malach def. Stefan Končar by TKO, Round 3, 1:58

Preliminary Card

Vojtech Garba def. Mateusz Strzelczyk by TKO, Round 1, 3:48
Václav Štěpán def. Firas Daud by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Mileide Simplicio def. Josefine Knutsson by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 4:55
Liam Pitts def. Kacper Matyszewski by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 3:52
Alex Hutyra def. Umut Birdal by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 3:44

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