Gold will be on the line when OKTAGON returns to the Czech city of Třinec later this year.
Reigning title holder, Mateusz Legierski (14-2), looks to defend his lightweight belt against the first ever OKTAGON double champion, Ivan Buchinger (46-10), inside Werk Arena. The intriguing bout will take place at OKTAGON 98 on Saturday, November 21, as the schedule for our centenary year rolls on. The Pole wants to show his dominance to the rest of the division while ‘Buki’ hopes to recapture the throne five years after he first claimed it in what would be an inspiring story.
Despite suffering an injury which almost ended his career, Legierski defeated Attila Korkmaz last November to win the strap for the second time. He then fended off the challenge of Gökhan Aksu back in Berlin via TKO stoppage in round one to prove that he intends on ruling the weight class for many years to come. Now Legierski has the opportunity to face a legend and show the continent once again why he is the best around.
Buchinger is an absolute veteran of the European scene and has been one of the most underrated talents for over a decade. He has shared the cage with the likes of Conor McGregor, Salahdine Parnasse, Losene Keita and won titles across numerous promotions including OKTAGON, M-1 and Cage Warriors. At 40-years-of-age, ‘Buki’ now has an incredible chance to add to his legacy even further and demonstrating to everyone that he is still at the peak of his powers.
Elsewhere on the card, Veronika Smolková faces Ivana Petrović in a key flyweight bout following the title becoming vacant. Czech up-and-comers, Tomáš Mudroch and Jakub Batfalský, will also perform inside Werk Arena against opponents who are yet to be announced.
