On Saturday night, the Champions League of MMA kicked off with a bang, as Oktagon MMA 40, delivered in abundance with an unbelievable show at the Ostravar Arena, in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
In yet another tremendous evening’s entertainment, 12,000 passionate fans packed into the venue to create an unforgettable atmosphere. Over the course of a spectacular card, sixteen fighters battled it out to qualify for the quarter-finals of the revolutionary Tipsport Gamechanger tournament.
With a whopping €1 million on the line, the warriors gave it their all, with each and every one of them desperate to put in a statement performance in front of the millions watching around the world on DAZN.
David Kozma wins in the Oktagon MMA 40 main event
While the spectators were salivating for every fight on the bill, there was one that stood out from the pack. David Kozma had the weight of the world on his shoulders going into the main event. Having lost his championship belt in his previous outing, he was desperate to prove that he still has the ability to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
The Czech hero walked to the cage to screams from his adoring crowd and produced a wonderful performance, utilising an array of strong takedowns to dictate the contest. However, disaster nearly struck in the final round, when his opponent, Lukasz Siwiec, locked in a terrifying rear-naked choke. But in a testament to his resilience, the former Oktagon King survived and bagged his place in the quarters.
In a stunning co-main event, Alex Lohore triumphed over Samuel Krištofič in a brutal war of attrition. While the pair traded blows in equal measure during the early portion of the bout, ‘Da Killa King’ pulled away, wobbling his adversary on a number of occasions. And with the 33-year-old showing huge improvements since his move to Great Britain Top Team, he’s undeniably one of the favourites to win the competition.
However, Christian Jungwirth will have something to say about that. Despite the German fighting just three weeks ago, he happily jumped in the cage and picked up another win. Showcasing his outrageous powers of self-belief and outright love for a scrap, he whipped out his ever-popular all-action style to overwhelm Tato Primera.
Also, Louis Glismann represented the Danish with pride as he comprehensively beat Andrej Kalašnik to emerge as a serious contender.
Oktagon 40 showcased an array of Tipsport Gamechanger contenders
Greek UFC veteran, Andreas Michailidis proved his class, winning a unanimous decision over Leandro Silva. Furthermore, in a show-stealing moment, Marcel Grabinski rendered Máté Kertész unconscious via brutal ground and pound.
Plus, to really put the crowd on the edge of their seats, Bojan Veličković, used every ounce of his fighting spirit to overcome two knockdowns to submit Ion Surdu. And to round off the last-16, LFL champion, Mevlin van Suijdam, defeated Radovan Úškrt.
However, if the amazing fights weren’t enough, the drama continued long after the action came to a close. Upon the conclusion of the card, the eight quarter-finalists selected numbered balls to dictate their next opponent.
In a tasty rematch, Van Suijdam will attempt to avenge his loss to Louis Glismann, while Grabinski will take on Michailidis. In addition, Jungwirth will battle it out with Veličković. And while these match-ups look guaranteed to provide fireworks, Oktagon enthusiasts gasped as Kozma and Lohore drew each other.
Many expected all roads to lead to a final between the two MMA icons. But instead, they’ll meet much earlier, and we, for one, can’t wait.
Read: Walter Gahadza is prepared to make history at Hexagone MMA 7 (sporf.com)
Featured Image Credit: Oktagon MMA