Oktagon 73 Preview: Eckerlin v Pukač, Richie Smullen returns

Oktagon returns to Germany this Saturday with a solid fight card. The Barclays Arena in Hamburg is host to Oktagon 73. Eleven fights will take place, including one for an OKMMA championship.

Christian Eckerlin (17-6) is an extremely popular individual in his homeland and won the “King of Germany” belt last October in Frankfurt’s stadium. The Erbach man started out as a footballer before switching sports, and he’s had a lot of success following that decision. The 38-year-old is a well rounded martial artist with knockout ability and a strong wrestling acumen. Robert Pukač (19-13-1) makes his fifteenth promotional walk. The Slovakian is in the midst of a career revival, winning his last three. The biggest of those victories was last time out against David Kozma by first round knockout. The 33-year-old isn’t afraid of a battle and he’s more than capable of lasting the full fight. It’ll be his kickboxing that poses the biggest danger here.

Adam Pałasz (9-4) is a big bruiser making his seventh appearance. The Pole is a knockout artist, finishing seven opponents with his massive fists. The Wrocław man is dangerous throughout the contest, with the ability to get a stoppage at any time. Having lost three of his last four, he’ll be keen to get a bit of form going and get back into title contention. Kasmin Aras (9-5) is a veteran of Bellator, LFL and Brave. German born of Turkish roots, he does a lot of his good work with his wrestling, getting things down to where he can crank a submission or use ground and pound. The 37-year-old once bit an opponent, something for the referee to look out for.

Kaik Brito (17-6) is a Contender Series veteran, losing out to Oban Elliott, as well as being a former OKMMA welterweight champion. The Brazilian is an outstanding striker with power for days. The 28-year-old is particularly violent in the first two rounds, blowing opponents out of the water. He’s not a man for waiting to see what the judges think. Joilton Lutterbach (39-10) is a very experienced fighter who just loves to fight. The Brazilian has performed in pro kickboxing for Glory, and in MMA across many top European federations. Excitement is the name of his game and he’s involved in banger after banger. The 32-year-old fears no man and has a wicked streak on the feet, knocking out fifteen foes to date.

Niklas Stolze (14-7) is a UFC veteran and makes his fifth promotional walk. The German is very well rounded, possessing good wrestling with nice ground and pound and submissions. The 32-year-old also has an effective kickboxing game with heavy hands. Jessin Ayari (18-6) is also a UFC veteran, beating Jimmy Wallhead in his sole victory. The German is stronger on the mat, with some heavy top pressure and nice submissions. On the feet, the 33-year-old has got an explosive right hand. If it hits, it’s lights out.

Jonas Mågård (17-7) returns after a split decision loss at the end of last year. The Dane had won both his other matchups in 2024 and will be looking to build back up to title contention with a win on Saturday. The 33-year-old is a fantastic wrestler and a master of the Japanese necktie submission. He’s also no stranger to brawl and when he does, blood tends to spill. Farbod Iran Nezhad (12-3-1) trains out of the renowned Spitfire gym in Berlin and is a PFL veteran. The Iranian has some decent wrestling of his own, peppering in ground and pound amongst his submission attempts. The 34-year-old is predominately a decision fighter, using his durability as a weapon.

Wahed Nazhand (9-2) has won his last three and was a champion back in his homeland. The Afghan is good wherever the fight goes, carries a submission threat and is scrappy in the stand-up. The 31-year-old is in his ninth year as a professional and he’s built lasting cardio over the years. Faridun Shokhnazarov (4-0) trains out of Munich and has competed in pro Muay Thai in the past. The Tajik standout has a heavy hitting striking game, cracking punches early and often. He’s also very capable on the mat with decent wrestling.

Beno Adamia (12-8-2) rolled into Hamburg as champion but lost the title to the scales and as a result has been stripped and is ineligible to regain the strap here. The Georgian beat Sam Creasey for the crown last February and has had a career of two halves. The 29-year-old has won his last six fights, the last three of them against men with championship calibre. He’s got that classic Caucus wrestling dominance and is competitive on the feet. Zhalgas Zhumagulov (17-9) is a well known ex-UFC fighter who has won his last three bouts, including a win against Aaron Aby in his Oktagon debut. The Kazakh is a strong boxer with great power for the weight class. The 36-year-old has a wrestling game to fall back on if needs be, however he’ll be looking for the knockout and capture the gold.

Marek Bartl (14-14) makes his fourteenth walk for the company and is one of those classic game journeymen you find in Central Europe. The Czech doesn’t mind where the fight plays out. The Prerov man will brawl it out on the feet or attack with a quick submission. He’s competed in all the arts separately and is at his happiest showing off his skills. Daniel Makin (9-15) is a journeyman that has found his feet in recent times. The German has won his last six bouts, winning two belts along the way, a double champ in We Love MMA in his homeland. He excels on the ground where he can use his good BJJ skills and throw some big shots.

Richie Smullen (14-3-1) has found a new home and makes his debut. The Arklow man is a rugged grappler and a high level BJJ player. The Irishman man will take you down and drain the life out of you. The 33-year-old is a UFC and Bellator veteran, and has many wins over notable opponents such as CW champ Harry Hardwick. He has eleven finishes on his record, mostly due to the takedown threat, ending it with chokes or ground and pound. Vojto Barborik (16-3) might be Richie’s twin, possessing a very similar skillset. The Slovakian is has legit grappling credentials and is a stellar back belt. The 32-year-old is a KSW and PFL veteran, and he is a submission whizz. Armbars, triangles and arm chokes – always looking to make you tap, nap or snap.

Tomáš Cigánik (5-2) makes his third promotional appearance. The Slovakian is another of the submission specialists on the card, excelling in the rear naked choke. The Trnava man has won his last four fights, finding his feet as a pro, and is becoming a real threat in the cage. Ahmad Halimson (6-3-1) is the second Afghan warrior competing on Saturday. The Spitfire Berlin man is a finisher and is most comfortable on the ground. After getting takedowns, he likes to smash ground and pound, you’ll either quit to the strikes or he’ll soften you up for the submission.

As usual, we have a free YouTube prelim to look forward to. Altin Zenuni (debut) had an incredible amateur career, competing thirty times, winning German amateur titles and representing them at the IMMAFs on multiple occasions. The UFD Gym prospect is finally being paid for his endeavours, and he’ll be keen to show his fantastic grappling game and submission threat. The Albanian was born in Germany, and he’s no slouch on the feet either. Tibor Baláz (3-2-1) makes his debut for the promotion. The Slovakian trains out of Kośice and he is fairly well rounded. He’s got a heavy punch with a decent takedown.

Oktagon 73 is live from Hamburg on Saturday night from 17:00 Irish time on Oktagon.tv.