A matchup that will shake Bratislava to its core is heading to the Slovakian capital.
Bulgarian tank, Lazar Todev (13-7), clashes with former #12 ranked UFC heavyweight, Martin Buday (16-3), in a very important showdown for the division at OKTAGON 89. The event takes place inside Tipos Aréna on Saturday, June 6, and marks the Slovakian leg of the promotion’s ten-year anniversary celebrations.
Todev has long been one of the most underrated heavyweights in Europe and owns nine career wins by knockout. His true talent started to get recognised following a thrilling back-and-forth battle for the championship with Will Fleury, where Todev just came up short. However, since then, he has dominated two UFC veterans in a row, Luis Henrique Barbosa and Josh Parisian, and if he can extend that run to three with Buday in Bratislava, another title shot may not be far away.
Buday’s exit from the UFC drew significant attention, with the heavyweight being released despite holding a place in the promotion’s top 15 and compiling an impressive 7-1 record during his tenure. ‘Badys’ returned to OKTAGON - where he once held the belt - in December but suffered a defeat to current heavyweight champion, Will Fleury. Buday is determined to respond to that setback and now looks to rebound in front of his home crowd, working his way back towards title contention.
OKTAGON 89 will also feature more of the very best talent that Slovakia has to offer. Vlasto Čepo, Robert Pukač and Marek Mazúch are all confirmed for the card which will showcase the middleweight division and truly shake up the rankings.
