The waiting is over—the fight is happening.
One of the most anticipated matchups of the year on the OKTAGON MMA calendar will take place in Munich on Saturday, May 17, when explosive finisher Arijan Topallaj (7-1-1) squares off with the outspoken Irish fighter Denis Frimpong (5-2) in a catchweight bout at 74kg/163lbs.
Following his victory over Robin Frank at OKTAGON 68 in Stuttgart, Germany last weekend, Frimpong called out "The Albanian Eagle" during his post-fight interview, leading to a heated confrontation between the two later that evening. With several weeks of build-up still ahead and neither fighter backing down, a thrilling showdown is expected at OKTAGON 71, which will take place at BMW Park.
Topallaj made an immediate impression in his OKTAGON debut in November 2023, submitting OKTAGON Challenge champion Roman Paulus in the first round. The 26-year-old followed up that performance with a stunning 36-second knockout of Slovakian veteran Karol Rysavy five months later.
Although he experienced a brief setback in October, losing to Hafeni Nafuka in front of 59,000 fans at the promotion's flagship stadium event in Frankfurt, Germany, Topallaj is eager to bounce back and prove that he has learned from the loss, returning better than ever on May 17.
Frimpong gained widespread attention after making it to the final of the OKTAGON Challenge: England vs. Ireland TV series and recently went viral following his infamous "gym straightener" with Paddy Pimblett. Known as "The Menace," Frimpong has backed up his trash talk with impressive wins over Jan Široký, Callum Mullen, and Robin Frank.
His dominant performance against Frank last weekend in Germany was the best of his career, and the Manchester Top Team fighter is now riding a wave of momentum, looking to take down another fan-favorite in hostile territory.
