UK standouts George Staines and Shem Rock have both been handed tough matchups for OKTAGON 71, which will take place in Munich, Germany, on May 17th.
The unbeaten prospect Staines (5-0) is set to face dangerous submission specialist Hafeni Nafuka (10-2) in a captivating lightweight contest.
All five of Staines' professional bouts to date have taken place under the OKTAGON banner. The 24-year-old, who compiled a 16-1 record as an amateur prior to turning pro in 2023, also earned an IMMAF amateur world title along the way.
Staines' first professional fights occurred on the set of the reality TV show OKTAGON Challenge. "Star Killer" defeated Matthew Elliott and Armand Herczeg to reach the finals, where a submission win over Denis Frimpong crowned him the series champion.
He later picked up two decision victories within the organization in 2024 and now faces his most experienced opponent yet in Nafuka. The "Namibian Nightmare" has already secured three submission wins in the OKTAGON cage and is coming off a unanimous decision loss to former champion Ivan Buchinger in November.
Also in the lightweight division, Shem Rock (11-1-1) has been scheduled to face promotional newcomer Abdullo Khodzhaev (6-1).
The 31-year-old Rock remains unbeaten within the organization and has claimed three consecutive first-round rear-naked choke victories in his last three outings.
The Liverpudlian faces a tough test in Khodzhaev, who has spent much of his professional career competing in promotions like UAE Warriors and ONE Championship.
OKTAGON MMA's Home Away From Home
The Czech-based promotion will quickly return to Germany following OKTAGON 69, which took place in Dortmund last Saturday night and provided plenty of memorable moments—most notably the bizarre ending to its main event. Winner Max Holzer kissed and then humped his defeated opponent Deniz Ilbay, which sparked chaos.
Ilbay chased Holzer across the cage, and both athletes tumbled through the open door and into the crowd, where their scuffle continued.
The event also featured an impressive promotional debut by grappling phenom Frederic Vosgrone and a wild influencer bout between Ediz Tasci and Uwe Schüder in the co-main event.
