Oktagon 75 Preview: Palokaj v Batfalsky

Oktagon is back in our life this Saturday, popping up in Hannover, Germany. The ZAG Arena will host Oktagon 75, with ten bouts under MMA rules on deck.

Gjoni Palokaj (11-3) trains locally and has won all four of his promotional bouts to date, all by decision. The German of Albanian descent is a former WE LOVE MMA champion, one of Germany’s top regional federations. He is a good kickboxer with some wrestling prowess in his back pocket. A win here should open up a big fight with a top ranked opponent next time out. Jakub Batfalsky (8-1) has all the ingredients to become a big star for the company. The Czech is on a five fight win streak, including three-in-a-row in Oktagon. The 22-year-old has an exciting and powerful kickboxing game, competing in pro boxing and Muay Thai alongside his MMA bouts. The Ostrava man has good submission fundamentals and a dangerous choke game.

Lazar Todev (11-7) has been hovering around the top of the heavyweight division for years now. The Bulgarian has pro kickboxing experience and has won four of six MMA fights since 2023. He likes to bludgeon his opponents with his fists and elbows, and if you’re unlucky enough to find yourself underneath him, the dreaded ground and pound awaits. Eight wins have been via knockout. Luis Henrique (16-9) is a UFC and KSW veteran making his Oktagon debut. The Brazilian has most of his success in the submission game, with his biggest weapon being a guillotine choke. Other than that, the 32-year-old goes after arm locks aggressively. Most of his losses have come to grapplers putting him on the back foot.

Mohammed Walid (8-4) impressed in his debut, a unanimous decision win over Wales’ Aaron Aby. The Kurd has impressive submission credentials, with a wicked guillotine and is adept at taking the back and sinking in a rear naked choke. He’s not too bad on the feet either. David Dvořák (21-6) is a UFC veteran and came up through the legendary XFN scene. The Czech is an incredibly well rounded competitor with the ability to dance around opponents in the stand-up and can out scramble everyone on the ground. The 33-year-old offers a finishing threat everywhere the fight goes, with sixteen stoppages on his record.

Edgar Delgado Jimenez (15-7) returns following an injury in his Oktagon debut. The Costa Rican was a champion in LUX FC, defending multiple times. The 36-year-old is an exciting fighter, possessing an exciting submission game, attacking arms and legs aplenty, and keeps a quick pace in the stand-up. Khalid Tafa (15-5) is a UFC and Rizin veteran, and he won his Oktagon debut last April via ground and pound. The German of Lebanese descent has made name for himself over the years as a knockout artist, ending opponents with his fists and knees. The 32-year-old has been around the block, and he’s a very capable grappler.

Mateusz Strzelczyk (15-14-1) is a man who loves to fight. The Pole is a KSW veteran and is a nearly fifteen year veteran of the sport. The 34-year-old has only lost one of his last six, and he is an explosive threat on the feet and on the ground. He has nine finishes on his record and he’s defeated many prospects that Oktagon has put in front of him. Emilio Quissua (6-0) has competed for GMC and NFC on the local scene, as well as UAE Warriors on the continents. The German has won half his fights by knockout, and is capable of sparking you on the feet or via ground and pound. The 28-year-old is tough and durable, and he has no problem keeping the pace for the duration.

Mochamed Machaev (15-2) is another one who became popular on the Czech scene through XFN. The Austrian has also competed for UAE Warriors and Brave CF. The 25-year-old is a Tasmanian devil in the kickboxing exchanges, offering great volume and accuracy on his strikes. His low centre of gravity poses takedown problems for his opponents, and he has a few chokes in his locker. Wanderley Junior (18-10) scored a quick knockout victory over Jakub Dohnal back in May, snapping a three fight skid. The Brazilian has a strong choke game, always going for guillotines or arm locks. The 31-year-old can be a wildman on the feet, taking risks to land big shots. He has thirteen finishes.

Hugo Vach (5-1) comes in from the regional scene, most notable GMC. The Hannover native goes by the nickname “The German Tarzan”, an apt name for the man with a lion’s mane. The 25-year-old likes to push a hard pace, and is likely to keep this on the feet while throwing volume. He’s already secured three knockout victories as a pro. Moritz Merten (2-1) steps in on a day’s notice to make his promotional debut. The German competed in GMC as an amateur before moving to WE LOVE MMA as a professional. “Dolph” has shown an aptitude for submissions in his mixed martial arts career to date, including an armbar victory last time out.

Emir-Can Ali (2-1) won via ground and pound in his last bout back in February, and he has competed at IMMAF level as an amateur. “The Turkish Bull” is a heavy hitting striker, even doing damage in the bigger gloves. The German can also wrestle, where he likes to soften people up with ground and pound, and offers a moderate submission threat. Lukáš Eliáš (4-1) is an IMMAF veteran and is looking to bounce back from his first pro defeat in his last outing. The Slovakian has a lot of promise and is generally a grappling first type fighter. He usually finishes it off with a rear naked choke, however he does have some pop in his right hand.

Nikolaos Serbezis (8-4) makes his first appearance in over a year and is looking to get back into the win column. The German’s finishing threat is in the submission game, with armbars and triangles causing the most problems. He’s competitive on the feet. Henrique Madureira (7-7) is back in Oktagon for the first time since 2023. The 36-year-old has won two of his last three. The Brazilian is a PFL veteran and is an exciting fighter who throws big strikes and attempts flying attacks. He will risk everything to land the killer blow.

The YouTube free fight contains two men in need of a win. Finn Griessmann (1-2) is a local lad making his sophomore appearance for the company. That was back in 2023 in Cologne, and he succumbed to a jab early on. The German’s threat comes in the submission game. Jixie Molapo (0-1) had a very good amateur run on the Czech scene, displaying some nice striking and the power to end things in bigger gloves. The Prague man has competed in pro boxing and Muay Thai, and this will be his first pro MMA fight since 2023.

Oktagon 75 is live from Hannover on Saturday night from 17:00 Irish time on Oktagon.tv.