Oktagon 76 Preview: Weichel v Tounkara

Oktagon is back this Saturday and is once more filling out the stunning Frankfurt Festhalle. Oktagon 76 will feature eleven bouts.

Daniel Wiechel (42-15) is a Bellator and M-1 level and he appears for the first time since 2023 to compete in front of his hometown crowd. The Frankfurt man is a pioneer of German MMA, paving the way for the current generation. The 40-year-old has great wrestling and has fantastic submission chops. He’s got a very strong choke game and is a competent striker. Abou Tounkara (12-6) plays the role of spoiler in this one. The Senegalese man had one fight in Bellator and comes in from Ares. The 36-year-old does his best work on the feet and he has eight knockouts on his record. He likes to finish things in the first couple of rounds.

Frederic Vosgröne (4-0) made a big name for himself in his Oktagon debut, a submission victory over Jorick Montagnac in April. The German is a lights out grappler and he has immense physical strength. Once he grabs you, he’s almost impossible to shake off. Arm triangles and heel hooks are his go-to techniques. Fabio Moraes (7-1) is a more than capable challenge. The 34-year-old is a finisher and likes to do his work on the feet. The Brazilian has knockout power and he’s aggressive in his striking. He’s won his last three bouts and will be keen to avoid takedowns here.

Attila Korkmaz (15-10) trains out of Berlin and has Turkish heritage. The 34-year-old is a Bellator and ACB veteran and usually takes things to a decision. The Spitfire man is a competitive kickboxer with a submission threat if given the opportunity. David Tonatouh Crol (11-10) is a PFL and Ares veteran and this is his first appearance in a year. The Frenchman is predominantly a submission player with a great arm triangle and a rear naked choke threat. The 28-year-old is adept at getting the tap even later into the fight when it is more difficult.

Denis Frimpong (8-2) is the type of guy you hear before you see him. The Dubliner beats many opponents before he’s even landed a shot, mentally beating them before the cage door closes. The Irishman trains out of Manchester Top Team and the Dublin Combat Academy under Collie Mahon. The 30-year-old is a classy striker and uses good footwork to land his combinations and get out of dodge. He has won his last five bouts. Peter Gabal (7-3) is the man on the end of Frimpong’s barbs. The Czech trains out of the renowned Reinders MMA in Prague. The IMMAF veteran has power in his shots and possesses a big knockout threat. On the ground, he likes to use the rear naked choke to end proceedings.

Alina Dalaslan (2-0) is one of the most promising prospects on the European women’s scene. The 25-year-old IMMAF veteran is a vicious striker and natural finisher. The German is brutal in clinch situations, throwing big knees and elbows. She’s got serious power in her hands. Clara Ricignuolo (3-3) won’t fear standing and banging with her opponent in this one. The Frenchwoman has power of her own and isn’t afraid to throw big shots any chance she gets. She is a quick starter and will be looking to catch her opponent on the hop early.

Fedor Duric (7-1) is one of the top prospects in the men’s ranks. The German trains out of Frankfurt and will have huge support on the night. The 21-year-old is very well rounded and can finish the fight wherever it goes. He’s got knockout power in his hands and is a slick submission player. Petru Buzdugan (6-2) has that attractive Romanian kickboxing style, throwing great kicks and has big power in his hands. The Moldovan is exciting and you can’t take your eyes off him for a second. He’s extremely dangerous even late into fights.

Hafeni Nafuka (10-3) takes on all comers and he has a huge potential ceiling. The “Namibian Nightmare” is a very strong grappler and he’s very good at tapping his opponents out, usually with a rear naked choke. He’s very strong and durable. Kevin Enz (4-3) represented his nation at IMMAF level and is a risk taker. The German is a very solid submission player, threatening to get the tap from any position. He has one win via knockout and is a former foe of Team KF’s Dom Norkus.

Tamerlan Dulatov (2-0) hails from a family of fighters, models and businessmen. The German is the brother of the UFC’s Islam Dulatov and his potential is just as high as his sibling. The 25-year-old has mainly shown strong grappling in his career to date, utilising ground and pound and submissions to get the wins. He was very impressive in his Oktagon debut, scoring a 15-second guillotine. Sebastian Hirtenlehner (0-1) appears for the first time in a year and makes his Oktagon debut on short notice. The Austrian mainly uses his boxing to trouble opponents and he’ll throw hard and often early on. His defensive grappling might be an issue here.

James Hendin (9-3) is a very exciting competition and his fights are appointment viewing. The Englishman is a former Cage Warriors title contender and has an attractive striking style that possesses big power. The 27-year-old was born in Germany and he can also grapple really well. Ayton De Paepe (13-5) is a fellow CW veteran and he’s won three of his last four. The Belgian won his Oktagon debut in June and he is very competitive on the feet. The 30-year-old has a nice guillotine that he uses to ward off takedowns.

Raul Lemberanskij (7-0) trains out of Frankfurt at MMA Spirit and is a veteran of NFC on the local scene. The 23-year-old is of Azerbaijani heritage and he has a strong grappling game that usually ends up with him take the back and sinking in a rear naked choke. He is also solid in the stand-up. Jose Zarauz (26-11-1) is a Combate Global veteran and has won three of his last four. The Peruvian was defeated in his Oktagon debut in April. The 32-year-old has a lot of experience and is comfortable wherever the fight might take him. The Lima man is fun to watch in the striking exchanges, throwing heavy shots to upset his opponents.

Georg Bilogrevic (7-4) makes his debut and he was a champion in WE LOVE MMA. Born in Germany and of Croatian heritage, the 32-year-old is a capable grappler with vicious ground and pound. He has won five of his last six and he likes to attack arm locks. David Hošek (12-7-1) is a KSW veteran making his eleventh promotional fight for Oktagon. The Czech is competitive in stand-up exchanges and has bags of power behind his punches. The 32-year-old is also a very capable submission player. He’s not afraid to go for it.

Oktagon 76 is live from Frankfurt on Saturday night from 17:00 Irish time on Oktagon.tv.