A name familiar to UFC fans was found in that final, as Polish middleweight vet Krzysztof Jotko faced Kerim Engizek for the big prize. In a reserve bout kicking off the night’s main card, meanwhile, another veteran, David Zawada, took on Daniel Ligocki.

Oktagon 82’s co-main event had possible title implications for the promotion’s featherweight division. That fight found Gjoni Palokaj having won five straight under the Oktagon banner and seven overall; he was going up against a former Cage Warriors title challenger in James Hendin.

Where to Watch Oktagon 82

Saturday, January 17, 2026 sees Oktagon MMA touch down at the PSD Bank Dome in Dusseldorf, Germany. The event streams live on Oktagon.tv starting at 11:30AM ET, 8:30AM PT. Full results from Saturday’s Oktagon 82 card can be found below.

Oktagon 82: Engizek vs. Jotko Results

Krzysztof Jotko def. Kerim Engizek by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 3:37  — Tipsport Gamechanger Middleweight Final
Gjoni Palokaj def. James Hendin by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Karol Ryšavý def. Deniz Ilbayby by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 3:49
Tamerlan Dulatov def. Stefan Končar by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 4:46
Marc Doussis vs. Yevhenii Orlov — bout cancelled, Doussis injured during warm-ups
David Zawada def. Daniel Ligocki by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) — Tipsport Gamechanger Reserve Bout

Preliminary Card

Zafar Mohsen def. Samuel Bark by unanimous decision
Kamil Oniszczuk def. Marek Bartl by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 2. 4:32
Tomáš Cigánik def. Maurice Adorf by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 4:11
Altin Zenuni def. Murat Tüysüz by TKO, Round 2, 2:44
Patrik Šebek def. Emir-Can Al by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Arian Sadiković def. Jixie Molapo by TKO, Round 2

The post Oktagon 82: Engizek vs. Jotko Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

The gamechanger tournament has been just that, a game changer for fighters outside the UFC, with serious money on the line for the winner. Two opening round fights (plus a reserve bout) were featured on Saturday: in one, former UFC welterweight turned middleweight David “Sagat” Zawada was paired up with kickboxer Matej Penaz, in the other, in the main event, Kerim Engizek was set opposite Kamil Oniszczuk.

Where to Watch Oktagon MMA

Saturday, February 1, 2025 finds Oktagon 66 taking place at the PSD Bank Dome in Dusseldorf, Germany. The card streams live on Oktagon.tv with the action getting underway at 11:30AM ET, 8:30AM PT. Full results from the event can be found below.

Oktagon 66: Engizek vs. Oniszczuk Results

Main Card

Kerim Engizek def. Kamil Oniszczuk by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – Tipsport Gamechanger Opening Round
Lom-Ali Eskiev def. Wanderley Junior by TKO, Round 2, 4:43
Matěj Peňáz def. David Zawada by TKO, Round 1, 4:42 – Tipsport Gamechanger Opening Round
Deniz Ilbay def. Vladimír Lengál by knockout, Round 2, 0:35
Cihad Akipa def. Matouš Kohout by unanimous decision
Hojat Khajevand def. Kennedy Rayomba by TKO, Round 1, 2:12- Tipsport Gamechanger Reserve Bout

Preliminary Card

Daniel Solaja def. Raphael Federico by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Emir-Can Al def. Viktor Kováč by TKO (ground n’ pound), Round 1, 3:47
Tamerlan Dulatov def. Ghith Ighzawi by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 0:16
Zoran Solaja def. Lukáš Eliáš by TKO (punches), Round 1, 1:34
Danielle Misteli def. Sara Luzar Smajić by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 2:30

The post Oktagon 66 Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Zawada (19-10) finds himself in the opening round of the latest Tipsport Gamechanger tournament, with the third edition thereof featuring the promotion’s best middleweight talents. Paired up against a strong kickboxer whose only loss came on Dana White’s Contender Series (via submission, it’s worth noting), “Zagat” nevertheless recently dismissed the idea that he needs to get Matej Penaz to the ground early.

“You know I come there to show the people MMA, mixed martial arts. I didn’t come to strike, I didn’t come just to grapple or wrestle because he’s a good striker,” Zawada told Cageside Press in an exclusive interview this week. “I will see at the time, this time I feel really comfortable because my preparation goes really good, and without a bad injury.”

“A fight is a fight. When everybody says ‘hey I have to go down,’ to take him down, they will see. I am here as a big underdog in this fight, with the papers. For me, it’s not problem, because the people only see your last fight, and my last fight wasn’t this good. They forgot my other fights, which I had with really, really tough opponents.”

Among those were fights were Zawada entered on short notice, and as the underdog. “I have the experience to change the game in the full fight.”

Speaking of changing the game, David Zawada changed weight classes a few fights back, moving from welterweight to 185lbs. Two fights in with a 1-1 record, he’s started to feel at home, and put on muscle. Which makes the weight cut a little more challenging than you might expect.

“The first two fights, it wasn’t this hard for me to cut for middleweight. But now I’m longer on muscle gain, so it took a little bit of time. I feel like I’ve grown, to the middleweight [division]. It’s pretty tough now. You will see how I look on the scale tomorrow, because I didn’t drop too much pictures,” Zawada stated.

Still, despite the cut being rougher this time out, “I feel great, my body language shows that also to me. In my mind I feel great, so I’m really, really [well] prepared for this fight,” he continued. “Of course everybody has some issues, I had them too, but hopefully I can compete this Saturday, which is the most important thing. With the full camp, I’m ready.”

With that in mind, would Zawada ever venture back to welterweight? Unlikely, unless a very lucrative offer comes across his desk.

“No I think not. Depends on the offer. Maybe there will be a good offer, some fighters in welterweight would be good on paper and in money. Then maybe I will go, but for now, it’s hard. I came down from 100 kilos, so it’s pretty tough.”

Watch our full interview with Oktagon 66’s David Zawada above.

The post Oktagon 66: David Zawada Feels His Experience Is A Game-Changer appeared first on Cageside Press.

After being knocked out by Vegh five years ago, Vemola will be looking for revenge against the former Bellator MMA light heavyweight champ. This time around, Vemola is holding gold, while Vegh has not competed since their first meeting in 2019, which ended just over two minutes into the opening round.

In the co-main event, former champ David Kozma faces Ion Surdu with the chance to compete for the now-vacant 170lb title on the line, while earlier in the night, David Zawada, a UFC and PFL veteran, looks to make a case for his own title shot at 185lbs.

Where to Watch Oktagon 58

Oktagon 58 takes place Saturday, June 8, 2024 at the Eden Stadium in Prague, Czech Republic. The card streams live via Oktagon.tv; full results can be found below.

Oktagon 58: Vemola vs. Vegh 2 Results

Main Card

Karlos Vémola (c) def. Attila Végh by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 2, 0:45 – for the Oktagon MMA light heavyweight championship
Ion Surdu def. David Kozma by KO, Round 1, 2:22 – winner fights for vacant Oktagon MMA welterweight championship
Marek Mazúch def. David Zawada by KO, Round 1, 1:15
Shem Rock def. Jaroslav Pokorný by technical submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 3:06

Preliminary Card

Mateusz Legierski def. Akonne Wanliss by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27) – Tipsport Gamechanger Quarter Final
Miloš Petrášek def. Kamil Wojciechowski by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Acoidan Duque def. Mago Machaev by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) – Tipsport Gamechanger Quarter Final
Amiran Gogoladze def. ‘Apollo’ Silva by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27) – winner fights for vacant Oktagon MMA welterweight championship
Deniz Ilbay def. Denis Tripšanský by TKO (knee and punches), Round 2, 2:16
Attila Korkmaz def. Makwan Amirkhani by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 3:37 – Tipsport Gamechanger Reserve Bout

The post Oktagon 58: Vemola vs. Vegh 2 Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I feel good, I feel strong in this division, and I think in this division I can be a real problem here in Oktagon, on this roster,” Zawada told Cageside Press in an exclusive interview ahead of his fight with

The idea to move to middleweight was actually floated by Zawada’s brother, but the longtime 170lb’er initially resisted. After all, he wasn’t having any issues making weight.

“I didn’t have a problem with the weight cut, so I still worked at welterweight in the UFC and the PFL. When I came back to Germany, to Oktagon and talked to Ondřej [Novotný, Oktagon founder], I came here from two loses from PFL and when I wanted to go back to Oktagon in the welterweight division, there wasn’t some guy who wanted to fight me,” Zawada recalled. “That’s what he said, it’s difficult to find somebody to fight me, because my last fights, I had four losses, just one win.”

Finding an opponent was one motivating factor. Another was retaining his power. While Zawada “never struggled with the weight cut,” he added that “I think the problem with the weight cut was I lose a lot of power, and conditioning. Everybody knows it’s not healthy or stuff to cut over 15 pounds in a week. I think also, I get older, so I think this step was the best to continue as long as I can in this sport, to move up.”

Zawada didn’t have any issues with strength in his last fight, a win over Hojat Khajevand, so the move appears to have paid of. “It was like an easy fight between a striker and a wrestler. That he can take me down, it wasn’t a surprise for me but you see my cardio, my stamina was perfect. I move forward, I make pressure, I could hold the pressure and in the end that was the key to win.”

At Oktagon 58 in Prague, Czech Republic this Saturday, Zawada now faces Marek Mazuch. “He’s a southpaw, so he has different standup. He likes to box, he’s a typical striker, a brawler, stand and bang. I didn’t see too much from the ground, because the people stand with him, they get knocked out or they knock out him,” Zawada gave as a scouting report.

“I think the only weapon that he has is his hands. I have more and more and more weapons for him. I can strike with him, for me it’s no problem because I have good knees, I have good kicks. I can box with him, I can wrestle him down. I can grapple with him, so I think my experience in this fight will be most important for the win. Because he never faced a guy like me.”

Watch our full interview with Oktagon 58’s David Zawada above.

The post Oktagon 58: David Zawada Explains Decision to Move to Middleweight appeared first on Cageside Press.

Zawada (17-7) has been paired up with the 10-1 Erhan Kartal at the event, which also sees the finals of Oktagon Challenge, an Ultimate Fighter style series on which Zawada served as a coach, alongside brother and fellow fighter Martin Zawada.

The chance to serve as a coach was a welcome opportunity for Zawada, who works with amateurs in his gym. It was also part of the allure of signing with Oktagon.

“Yes of course,” he told Cageside Press in a recent exclusive interview. “I work as a coach in our UFD Gym. It didn’t change too much for me, because this is what I do. I coach my amateurs, and also one of my guys came from the amateurs and now goes to the pros.”

Getting the chance to see a fighter he’s coached fight in the Oktagon Challenge final is one of the payoffs this weekend. Getting to compete in his native Germany is another — the card goes down in Frankfurt on June 4.

“The sport here in Germany, it’s growing up,” Zawada observed.

David Zawada has done some growth of his own, following time off after fighting in his final UFC bout in September of last year. “The release [from the UFC] came in like February,” he explained. “I had to wait over the holidays, so I had a little bit of time with the family and stuff like this.”

That time off afforded Zawada the chance to reflect on what had gone wrong in his past couple of fights, and tweak things in his training. Having shored up his game, he can now focus on Kartal, who he sees as a dangerous striker.

“I think he’s more comfortable in the stand-up,” Zawada told us. “I see he’s dangerous, he has heavy hands, so striking, it could be dangerous.”

“I’m ready for everything. I can’t forget the ground; if it happens, it will change the game,” he continued. Just a week out from the fight, Zawada added that he plans to show he’s a “complete MMA fighter” in the bout. “If it will be too dangerous for me in the striking, I will take him down, change the game. That’s my plan, to show the crowd a real mixed martial arts type game. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Zawada’s nickname should get the attention anyone who grew up in the 90s or early 2000s. “Sagat” is well known as  Street Fighter character, dating back to the original arcade game in 1991. So how did the German fighter pick up the moniker?

“It’s actually a funny story,” Zawada told us — one that dates back to his very first fight in 2010. “I was really an underdog. I had no hair on my head, and I had like Muay Thai shorts. And some guy recorded it with his phone, my first fight. I knocked this guy [his opponent] out, and when a friend of mine saw this on the phone— it wasn’t too many angles, only one camera, not professional filming, but just on the phone — he looked at me and said ‘hey, man, this looks like a game, this looks like Street Fighter and you look like Sagat.'”

“There was something about this, because in our childhood, we play a lot of Super Nintendo and stuff like this,” Zawada continued. “Street Fighter was also one the games that we played.”

In the end, he got a kick out of the concept, and decided to keep it as his nickname. “I also like striking, and I thought it’s a funny story, so I took it.”

David Zawada faces Erhan Kartal this Saturday, June 4, 2022 at the Festhalle in Frankfurt, Germany.

The post Ex-UFC Fighter David Zawada On How He Picked Up Street Fighter-Inspired Nickname, Return at Oktagon 33 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Welterweight Alex Morono entered UFC Vegas 36 fresh off a win over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Taking on Germany’s David Zawada, Morono had the big-name win and was looking to build a modest win streak.

Zawada, for his part, entered the night 1-3 in his last four. After missing all of 2020, he’d come up short against Ramazan Emeev in January on Fight Island.

Zawada and Morono traditionally have had fun fights on the big stage in the UFC octagon, and this fight was no different. Round one featured Zawada pushing the pressure, trying to put Morono on the backfoot and dart in and out with quick shots. However, that darting allowed for Morono’s counter right to land, and it did land often. Morono in general seemed to land the heaviest shots of the round, but it was a close round with good shots from both fighters.

Morono landing strong and Zawada keeps coming forward! #UFCVegas36 pic.twitter.com/lbT0pHxI0h

— UFC (@ufc) September 4, 2021

Zawada came out firing to start round two, pushing Morono back to the fence once again and landing a big combination. Zawada seemed to tighten up his striking in the second, but that still didn’t stop Morono from landing a big counter left hook that put Zawada on the backfoot halfway through the round. Morono then landed another left straight that seemed to change the momentum of the round. Zawada changed his strategy and began doing some good bodywork, which prompted Morono to do so as well. After two rounds, it was a close fight heading into the final frame.

Morono opened up the round with a big right hand, and not much longer the fight hit the mat for the first time. Morono ended up on top, before quickly transitioning to the back. However, Zawada did a good job of peeling him off and getting back to the feet, even hitting a slick elbow on the break of the clinch. Morono was the cleaner striker in round three. Zawada, as a last-ditch attempt to steal the fight, got a takedown in the final thirty seconds. Morono, however, reversed position and got the back as the fight was coming to a close.

Alex Morono def. David Zawada by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)

The post UFC Vegas 36 Results: Alex Morono Outpoints David Zawada appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Wednesday, MMA DNA was first to report that David Zawada would face Sergey Khandozhko at the Fight Night event, originally anticipated to be the UFC’s return to the U.K. While no official announcement was made, the date seemed like a lock — however, reports have begun to circulate that the card may shift to Las Vegas, at the UFC Apex, thanks to logistical complications brought about by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and the emerging delta variant.

In any case, Zawada confirmed the booking on social media following the initial report.

Germany’s Zawada (17-6), a KSW alum, last competed in January on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, losing a split decision opposite Ramazan Emeev. Prior to that setback, Zawada had spoiled the debut of Abubakar Nurmagomedov, earning a Performance of the Night bonus for his triangle submission win.

Khandozhko (27-6-1) will be looking for his second win inside the octagon this September. He enters the fight off a loss to Rustam Khabilov, back in 2019. Prior to that, he’d won his debut against Rostem Akman.

The Russian fighter had been expected to face Nicolas Dalby in June, but was forced out of that contest due to injury.

The UFC’s September 4 event is expected to be headlined by middleweights Derek Brunson and Darren Till.

The post UFC: David Zawada vs. Sergey Khandozhko Booked for September 4 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Emeev and Zawada each entered the fight off single wins, with Zawada having submitted Abubakar Nurmagomedov in November 2019. He’d been out all of 2020, after bouts with Anthony Rocco Martin and Mounir Lazzez fell through. Emeev, meanwhile, had won a unanimous decision against Niklas Stolze last July, in the Russian’s only fight of 2020.

To open the affair, third fight in on the UFC Fight Island 7 card on Saturday, Emeev threw an awkward looking right hand. He made up for it moments later, catching Zawada with another right. After some back-and-forth, Emeev managed to score a takedown, but Zawada was back up quickly, and throwing hands. The pair then clinched, trading knees. Eventually, Emeev would take the fight back down, while Zawada defended with a kimura.

The kimura wasn’t to be, and Emeev landed some heavy shots as Zawada climbed back to his feat. Those unanswered, undefended shots were heavy, but Zawada seemed to eat them without issue.

Opening the second, Emeev changed levels and put Zawada on his back with a textbook takedown. Zawada stayed busy off his back, while Emeev worked inside the guard. Emeev wound up back on his feet, and came close to eating an upkick. Zawada fired a nasty kick to the outside of Emeev’s lead leg — the type of kick that can quickly change the course of a fight. Emeev would need to keep an eye on those; he had eaten a couple in the opening round as well, and he leg was starting to look a little worse for the wear.

A seemingly accidental late blow, immediately after the buzzer to end round two, opened up a gushing cut near the eye of Zawada. Emeev opened the third with an immediate takedown, perhaps recognizing that his opponent was compromised. Zawada powered back up, but risked exposing his neck. Emeev wound up holding onto a choke a little too long, and found himself on his back, Zawada in side control. In his best sequence of the fight, Zawada worked his way to mount — only for Emeev to scramble free. That likely dashed any hopes of a Zawada victory, although the bout was close, and a split decision in the end.

A former two-time M-1 Global middleweight champion, Emeev was highly touted upon entering the UFC. Despite coming up short against Anthony Rocco Martin in 2019, big things were expected of him. With two straight wins under his belt, it appears the Russian is back on track.

Official Result: Ramazan Emeev def. David Zawada by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

The post UFC Fight Island 7 Results: Ramazan Emeev Earns Second Straight Win, Edges David Zawada appeared first on Cageside Press.

Nebraska, we're back 👊

🦁 @LionheartASmith returns vs 🇧🇷 @GloverTeixeira in the main event of #UFCLincoln! pic.twitter.com/bJZnyPRSUy

— UFC (@ufc) January 24, 2020

In conjunction with the announcement, Smith was on EPSN to talk about the fight.

Smith (32-14) is looking to build his way back to a title shot after coming up short against Jon Jones last year. ‘Lionheart’ picked up a win over Alexander Gustafsson in his first post-title bout appearance last Summer. A win over Brazil’s Teixeira, another title challenger, would be a push in the right direction.

As for Teixeira (30-7), he has quietly put together a three-fight win streak, with victories over Karl Roberson, Ion Cutelaba, and Nikita Krylov. Now 40, it’s clear that while Teixeira is nearing the end of his career, he’s not about to go quietly.

Also announced for UFC Lincoln (UFC Fight Night 173) in a press release Friday is the flyweight debut of Cynthia Calvillo in the UFC. Calvillo (8-1-1) missed weight for her UFC on ESPN 7 fight with Marina Rodriguez last month, a fight that ended in a draw. She’ll take on Antonina Shevchenko (8-1), who is coming off a win over Lucie Pudilova at UFC on ESPN 5.

UFC Lincoln will take place at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska on April 25, 2020. A full list of the bouts announced for the card Friday can be found below.

Anthony Smith vs. Glover Teixeira
Cynthia Calvillo vs. Antonina Shevchenko
Evan Dunham vs. Michael Johnson
Andrew Sanchez vs Zak Cummings
Anthony Rocco Martin vs David Zawada

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