Oktagon 82 Preview: Tipsport Gamechanger Finale, Engizek v Jotko

Oktagon kicks off the year with the finale of the Tipsport Gamechanger Middleweight tournament on German soil. Düsseldorf will host Oktagon 82 in the PSD Bank Dome, with a packed audience of fifteen thousand ready to tear the roof off the place. Twelve fights are on deck.

The Season 3 winner of the Tipsport Gamechanger tournament will be crowned on Saturday night. Kerim Engizek (24-4) will be in the red corner and he conquered Kamil Oniezcuk, Mick Stanton and Dominik Humberger to earn his spot. The German of Turkish descent is the OKMMA Middleweight champion and is undefeated in the promotion. The former EMC and GMC Champion will have a home game here, training in the UFD Gym in the city with the likes of former KSW champions Roberto Soldić and Antun Račić. The 34-year-old has won seventeen bouts on the trot, and he possesses wicked striking ability. Fourteen wins have come via stoppage due to his fists and kicks. He’s great defensively and can take a punch, and his power in return folds opponents. Krzysztof Jotko (28-6) has defeated Ion Surdu, Marek Mazuch and Hojat Khajevand to clinch a final spot, however he has missed weight a few times so will need to make sure to not be beaten by the scales here. The Pole is a former UFC fighter with an 11-6 record in the big show. The 36-year-old is a rugged competitor and extremely hard to beat, and he loves to get out to the cage and grind out a controlling win. The Elbląg man is extremely tough and has only been stopped by strikes twice, and is generally built to control proceedings to decisions. His stand-up is his best chance of a finish, possessing a fine kickboxing game, although he probably won’t have the power here.

Gjoni Pakaloj (12-3) has won an impressive five fights under the Oktagon banner and is right in the mix of the featherweight title picture. The German born of Albania descent has seen all of those bouts go to a decision, and he prefers a striking style where he can outpoint his opponents and dominate the exchanges. The former WE LOVE MMA and RFC champion has won his last seven and is harder than a coffin nail. James Hendin (10-3) is a well known veteran of the Cage Warriors scene, where he cut his teeth as a young professional, up to and including challenging Jordan Vucenic for a title. The Englishman was born in Germany and he’s made a name for himself with his exciting style. The 28-year-old is going to swing at you like he owes you money, and he’s a bit of fun in the scrambles. He’s a knockout threat.

Deniz Ilbay (8-2) is a successful convert from boxing to mixed martial arts. Not only that, he doesn’t rely on his stand-up acumen while wearing the small gloves. The German loves to use grappling to put you on your back and rain down vicious ground and pound. The Cologne man will have local support as he trains out of the UFD Gym. Aside from his desire to cave your head in on the mat, his body shots are absolutely debilitating on the feet. Karol Ryšavy (14-10) makes an incredible twenty-first walk for the company, and is someone they can rely on to put on a show. The Slovakian is known as “Bomby”, a tribute to his ability to throw heavy shots that send opponents to sleep. The 32-year-old is a man who will go into the dragon’s den and swing like his life depended on it. His only objective is to send the fans home happy.

Tamarlan Dulatov (3-0) is a young man who has the world at his feet, and this will be his first main card appearance. Coming from a fighting family, as well as having a lot of business interests, the hype around him is huge. The 25-year-old has made mincemeat of his opponents so far, and in Oktagon nobody has lasted a minute with him yet. He won his promotional debut with a 16-second guillotine choke win and followed that up with a 52-second knockout last October. He can strike, he can grapple, and he gets a step up in quality opposition here. Stefan Končar (4-0) comes from the ACF promotion in Croatia. The Serbian is a men all-rounder who has power on the feet and has a sneaky submission game in his arsenal. The 24-year-old hasn’t needed the judges so far, and he’s a very quick starter who likes to use his fists to dictate the result.

Marc Doussis (9-5) is another UFD Gym guy and he’s in need of a few wins after losing five in his last seven. The German is known for his great physique and well rounded style. When he’s on a roll, he’s a mean finisher who can get it done on the feet or on the mat. The Düsseldorf man has a wicked guillotine in his arsenal along with a variety of other good subs, and his punches carry massive power. Striking defence is his weakness, so he’ll need to be at his best here. Yevhenii Orlov (9-1) returns to Oktagon for the first time since 2019. The Ukrainian now trains in Prague at Renegade, and he comes from a Greco-Roman wrestling background. The 36-year-old has a solid choke game. As a professional mixed martial artist, it’s his big ham hock sized fists that usually gets the job done, scoring seven knockouts to date.

David Zawada (19-12) is a former UFC, PFL and KSW veteran and a legend of the Düsseldorf fight scene, alongside his brother Martin. The German does a lot of damage on the feet, using a high volume striking game to tenderise opponents. The 35-year-old is also a good submission player, offering up some good chokes and leg locks. Daniel Ligocki (5-2) marches into enemy territory for his fifth Oktagon appearance. The Czech has also competed in Muay Thai, and he’s renowned for his lights out striking style, with three knockouts in MMA competition. The 28-year-old backs that up with a solid submission threat, favouring the rear naked choke, as well as having a nice D’arce.

Samuel Bark (13-2) is one of Europe’s most exciting fighters and he was a champion in UAE Warriors. The Cage Warriors and FCR veteran has a bit of everything, most notably his flashy striking style. Coming from a Muay Thai background, the Swede uses every sharp point to inflict damage and isn’t afraid to fly through the air to do so. His grappling is improving all the time, with a good wrestling base and a love of ground and pound. Zafar Mohsen (13-4) comes in from the regional scene and has competed once for PFL. The Afghani now calls Germany his home, and he is a very well rounded individual. The 31-year-old has a very effective armbar in particular, and his striking regularly leads to cutting up his opponent’s face. He has eleven finishes on his record.

Marek Bartl (16-14) makes his sixteenth promotional walk and he’s on a three-fight winning streak. The Czech is a “records are for djs” kind of character and his game has really clicked since 2023. The 32-year-old has upped his submission game and he loves grabbing an arm and forcing a tap out. The Prerov man is brave on the feet and loves a scrap, he’s dangerous in tight areas and can explode at any given moment. Kamil Oniszczuk (11-5) is an ACA, FNC and Bellator veteran who is always fun to watch. The Pole is a striking whizz, possessing an exciting kickboxing game. The 29-year-old frequently travels to Kill Cliff in Florida to upgrade his skills, particularly in the grappling department. His kicks pay the bills, and he’ll set up his great head kick by hammering the legs and body.

Tomáš Cigánik (6-3) is a guy who has gotten into very even fights of late. The Slovakian has achieved a lot of success with his rear naked choke as a professional, securing all three of his finishes with the technique. The Trnava man has competed in pro kickboxing and is capable with his hands. Maurice Adorf (6-3) makes his debut and arrives from the German regional scene. The Oberhausen man has lost his last two, and his best facet is his striking. He’s not blessed with too much power, so he usually tries to dominate a decision. Two wins have come via knockout.

Altin Zenuni (2-0) is an IMMAF veteran and a European junior silver medalist and national champion. The Albanian is the latest one off the UFD Gym talent conveyor belt. The Düsseldorf man amassed an incredible thirty fights as an amateur, and he’s comfortable wherever the fight goes. He’s a very good submission player and uses a variety of chokes to get the tap. Murat Tüysüz (5-0) is a bruiser. The Turk has knocked out all four opponents to date, using his fists to pulverise his foes in the first and second rounds. Fighting out of Germany, he’s here for a good time, not a long time. Experience won’t be in his favour here and he didn’t compete much at amateur level.

Emir-Can Al (2-2) is an IMMAF veteran and a national champion at amateur level. The UFD man is predominantly a striker with lots of power and an aggressive streak. The German picked up both his wins with his fists, and in his past has shown an aptitude for chokes. Patrik Šebek (2-0) is the polar opposite of his opponent. The Slovakian is a strong submission player and both of his victories were via rear naked choke. He had a very good sixteen-fight amateur career, where he tapped people out for fun.

Arian Sadiković (1-0) is a recent convert to MMA from the world of kickboxing, where he performed for One Championship and Glory. The Hannover man forced his opponent’s corner to throw in the towel a little over a minute after the fight started, that was the level of beating he was putting on. Big strikes will open the show here. Jixie Molapo (1-1) had a fruitful amateur career and has also competed in kickboxing and Muay Thai. The Czech is a striker with heavy hands, scoring four knockouts before turning pro. The Prague man picked up his first pro win last September, a decision win.

Oktagon 82 is live from Düsseldorf on Saturday night from 17:00 Irish time on Oktagon.tv.