Alex Lohore says he’s bringing a career full of experience into the cage when he challenges for the Oktagon middleweight title at Oktagon 35 on September 17.
Lohore challenges middleweight champion Patrik Kincl in the main event in Brno, Czech Republic in a bout that will see the England-based Frenchman compete for a title in his fifth promotion as he makes his second tilt at a championship belt with the Czech promotion.
After picking up belts for domestic promotions Too Much Talent, UCMMA and FightStar Championship, Lohore went 2-0 with Bellator before returning to the UK and defeating England’s Nathan Jones to capture the vacant welterweight title for now-defunct UK promotion BAMMA before going on to defend his belt against Ireland’s Richard Kiely.
His next shot at championship gold came under the Cage Warriors banner, but this time he fell short in his bid to capture the interim welterweight title as he suffered a TKO defeat to two-time champion and future UFC welterweight Nicolas Dalby.
Now Lohore is set to fight for championship gold once again, and he said that he’ll take the experiences of all of his prior title fights into his upcoming bout at Oktagon 35.
“I strongly believe everything happens for a reason,” he told me.
“This time I’m more than ready and I’ve had the time to prepare properly for this fight.”
Lohore’s prior title bouts each came in the UK, but his upcoming title tilt will see him fight for an international title overseas for the first time. After fighting at championship level for a host of promotions during his career, Lohore said he’s in a good place with the rising Czech promotion, which has been playing to packed houses since the reopening of events post-COVID.
“I like Oktagon’s reputation as it is where all fighters in the world fight,” he explained.
“It’s always more difficult fighting away from home, but the fans are great and have made me feel at home.”
Despite his past successes elsewhere, Lohore’s tenure with the Czech promotion didn’t get off to the best of starts. Handed a shot at the middleweight title on his debut, Lohore lost out on the scorecards to Karlos Vemola at Oktagon 20 in December 2020. That loss was swiftly followed by another defeat on the scorecards – this time via split-decision – as he was edged out by Leandro Silva one month later.
But since then, Lohore has bounced back in style. A unanimous decision victory over Spain’s Tato Primera got him back in the win column at Oktagon 22 in March 2021, then a first-round TKO finish of Czech contender Zdenek Poliva at Oktagon 31 in February 2022 put him in pole position for another crack at the middleweight title.
He’s back on form, and Lohore said the promotion is on the up, too – and that’s good for both parties.
“I feel like there’s still room to improve with Oktagon,” he explained.
“They have big potential for the future, especially if they start putting on shows in the UK and other European countries.”
Lohore hopes to be a part of that promotional growth as one of their champions, and he said he’s confident he has the experience and skillset to get the job done against Kincl on September 17.
“I am focusing on myself,” he explained.
“I am very experienced, so the key is preparing for everything he brings. I have the clear edge in all areas, I am more athletic and the more well rounded fighter.
“My preparation is going well, I am training with my striking coach Andrew Prescod. I’ve been training with him for the past three years and now my striking is world class.
“I am confident to compete and win against the best in the world, it’s just a matter of time before the world realises. I work my BJJ and Wrestling with Vinni De Castro Nascimento at Mandala Jiu Jitsu, he has a fifth-degree black belt from Brasil, nothing else needs to be said.”
Lohore said fans can “expect to see the highest level of fighting outside of the UFC,” at Oktagon 35, and promised them that his bout with Kincl will deliver “a very violent fight.”
And, crucially, the 32-year-old, whose nickname changed from “Da Killa Kid” to “Da Killa King” as his career has progressed, said his age and experience will play a major factor as he looks to bring out the best performance of his career against Kincl in Brno.
“The biggest difference is that I am not a kid any more – I am a king that’s focused on one goal,” he stated.
“That goal is to destroy whatever is in front of me with the most dangerous attacks I have.”
