Oktagon MMA’s first event of 2023 sees the promotion head over to Germany to break new ground with their first event in Munich.
Oktagon 39 will see eight German fighters take to the cage at the Audi Dome on an 11-fight card that will see a host of familar names to regular watchers of Oktagon shows.
Welterweight contender Christian Jungwirth will play the starring role on fight night, with the 35-year-old Stuttgart native set to take Brazil’s Denilson Neves de Oliveira in a 170-pound main-event matchup.
Jungwirth quickly established himself as a crowd-pleaser in Oktagon with a string of all-action performances. And now, with “The Kelt” already scheduled to appear in the one-million-Euro Tipsport Gamechanger tournament, the German has taken the unusual step of booking a fight before launching into the tournament itself.
That bout comes against De Oliveira, whose two-bout series with another German welterweight, Christian Eckerlin, quickly established him as a teak-tough addition to the promotion’s 170-pound division.
Jungwirth has won three of his last four, however, and despite losing a unanimous decision to fellow “Gamechanger” competitor Mate Kertesz last October, the German contender will be looking to use this bout to pick up a big win and build some priceless momentum heading into the tournament later this year.
The co-main event features an all-German clash at light heavyweight, with rising contender Alexander Poppeck and returning veteran Martin Zawada set to face off at 205 pounds.
Munich’s Poppeck picked up an impressive first-round TKO finish on his return to the promotion in October, then respectfully called for a bout with Zawada, who duly accepted. Now the pair will face off in a light heavyweight battle that should go down well with the Munich crowd.
The event will also see the latest appearance from Oktagon lightweight champion Losene Keita, who once again is taking on a new challenge.
Last time we saw Keita, he was throwing hands with decorated Slovakian striker Milan Minci Pales. Now, after claiming a dramatic win in a deciding round, he returns to MMA rules as he drops down to featherweight for the first time.
Keita will take on Swedish featherweight and former Cage Warriors contender Samuel Bark, who will make his promotional debut in a high-profile bout against one of Oktagon’s biggest talents.
The German fans will also be keen to follow the exploits of the other home-based fighters on the card. Rafael Xavier takes on Slovakia’s Pavol Langer at light heavyweight, while heavyweight contender Hatef Moeil takes on Brazilian Wallyson Carvalho.
Former UFC welterweight Niklas Stolze returns home to take on England’s James Lewis in the featured preliminary card bout of the night, and featherweight Michael Deiga-Scheck faces off against Vladimir Lengal. The first German fighter set for action will be welterweight Kevin Hangs, who will take on Czech veteran Marek Bartl.
Oktagon 39: Fight card
MAIN CARD
- Christian Jungwirth vs. Denilson Neves de Oliveira
- Alexander Poppeck vs. Martin Zawada
- Losene Keita vs. Samuel Bark
- Rafael Xavier vs. Pavol Langer
- Ronald Paradeiser vs. Vladimir Sikic
- Hatef Moeil vs. Wallyson Carvalho
PRELIMINARY CARD
- James Lewis vs. Niklas Stolze
- Vladimir Lengal vs. Michael Deiga-Scheck
- Robert Pukac vs. Dominic Schober
- Marek Bartl vs. Kevin Hangs
- Francesco Bocca vs. Tayo Odunjo