Latest news with #OKTAGON
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
OKTAGON double champ Losene Keita wants UFC shot: 'I already slapped everybody in Europe'
Losene Keita saw and conquered – and now he's out for world domination. The current OKTAGON lightweight and featherweight champion, Keita (16-1) thinks it's finally time to test his hand in the UFC after becoming one of Europe's emerging star talents. "I already slapped everybody in Europe," Keita told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. "Every time I'm sitting in front of the TV, I'm watching a featherweight, (and) it's not what it used to be before. It used to be a fun weight class. We need a big star. We need someone who can sleep people. We need some fun fighters. Imagine being in front of the TV, watching these kind of fights. I'm like, 'How are they in the UFC? How?' For me, my job is now to make featherweight great again in the UFC. I think it's time to go to the UFC. I'm the guy the UFC really needs." Keita, 27, is known for his fighting abilities and highlight-reel knockouts but also his mic skills and electric walkouts. He does it all, one of the most highly touted fighters outside the UFC. His only career loss was due to injury, and he's notched 10 knockout victories in 16 fights. While he's still under contract with OKTAGON and could fight for the organization next, Keita said his agreement with the promotion includes a UFC-out clause. He hopes to activate that sometime in the immediate future. "I'm able to leave," Keita said. "I have a clause where I can leave for the UFC whenever I want." What about Keita? The UFC recently signed a large wave of free-agent talent, ranging from veteran PFL fighters like Ante Delija, to KSW champions like Robert Ruchala and Jakub Wiklacz, to OKTAGON contender Shem Rock. Delija was left scratching his head as to why he was not included. "How can they sign these guys?" Keita said. "You look back and see what I've done and who (I've fought) and look at my highlights with everything. I'm like, OK, the big fish is not there yet. So how can you make something great if the big fish is not there yet? No disrespect to all those guys." There's nothing more Keita would like than for UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby to send a contract his way. However, Keita doesn't see it as a favor when he thinks about what the UFC would get in return. Business would be mutually beneficial for all. Born in Guinea, Keita immigrated to Belgium at age 11 and eventually found himself living a troubling lifestyle. At one point, he was in prison, but shortly after his release, he found mixed martial arts and his life was changed forever. Not only does Keita serve as an example of getting on the straight and narrow, he's built a large following in sections of Europe that the UFC does not often visit. From Belgium to Germany to Czechia, Keita has captivated audiences in massive arenas across Northwestern and Central Europe. "I've fought in OKTAGON, in Czech Republic where there is no one (who is) Black there and how I became one of the fan favorites there," Keita said. "People didn't even speak English there, and I speak English. Imagine me going to America and speaking English to this guy and selling myself by being myself." UFC, 'it's time' In his ideal world, Keita would debut at the UFC Fight Night event Sept. 6 at Accor Arena in Paris. There are already names on the tip of his tongue. Understatedly, Keita isn't impressed with the promotion's division and thinks he could make an impact in short order. "If the UFC called me now to fight Dan Ige, I'd accept it and take it with both hands," Keita said. "If the UFC called me now to fight Josh Emmett, I'd take it with both hands. If the UFC called me now to fight any of these guys in the top 15, I would take it with both hands. Zero hesitation. I've been watching these guys, and that's the only thing I do. I watch this guy and I watch this guy and I'm like, 'How do these guys have this much hype? How are they doing this kind of stuff?' I really think I can beat a lot of these guys. For me, I don't care. It can be a wrestler. It can be a striker. It can be Superman. It can be somebody who flies. My only goal is to be a champ." All he needs is a chance, as he explained while also utilizing the signature line of UFC announcer Bruce Buffer. "It's time," Keita said. "Let's make featherweight great again. I can do both weights actually. I even fought in welterweight before. I fought in lightweight, featherweight. Let's just make fun. Let me knock out people on the biggest platform."
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lancashire's Cartwright eyes Oktagon MMA title belt
Bolton fighter, Jack Cartwright, will fight for the vacant OKTAGON MMA bantamweight title on August 9 against former UFC fighter, Igor Severino, in Prague. The pair had been scheduled to meet in April but an injury to the Lancastrian forced a postponement. Now the much-anticipated clash has a new date on the bill at OKTAGON 74 at the open-air venue in Štvanice. The loaded card is set to be one of the best European MMA events of the year, hosting a plethora of elite level talent. Severino drew global attention last year after being released from the UFC for biting his opponent during a match. The 21-year-old, who later embraced the nickname 'Hannibal Lecter,' was given a fresh start by OKTAGON and matched up against former bantamweight champion, Jonas Mågård, for his debut in the promotion. Severino showcased his impressive skills by defeating 'Shark' via decision in a thrilling contest. The Brazilian demanded a title shot in his post-fight interview, declaring he would crush anyone who stood in his path. This summer, he'll have the opportunity to back up that bold claim and show he's the top athlete in the division. But former Cage Warriors champion, Cartwright, made a strong impression in his OKTAGON debut in November 2023, submitting Júnior Assis just over two minutes into their match-up and he will want to shine again. The 31-year-old won in style last time out last September, securing a victory over Mate Sanikidze. With chances to capture gold on Europe's premier stage being rare, Cartwright is fully prepared to seize the moment by any means necessary. The Harwood star said: 'The delay to the original fight hasn't altered my approach at all. 'I've had this fight in mind the entire time and have been focused on doing everything possible to ensure I come away with an impressive victory and a world title.'
USA Today
29-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 317 results: Payton Talbott upsets Felipe Lima in bounce-back victory
Payton Talbott has bounced back. One of the UFC's fastest-rising stars in terms of popularity, Talbott (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) successfully rebounded Saturday at UFC 317 when he upset former OKTAGON champion Felipe Lima (14-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) with a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) victory. The bantamweight bout kicked off the UFC 317 main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. A scrambly opening five minutes saw Lima take Talbott to the canvas multiple times and even take his back at one point. But Talbott stayed composed and utilized his aggressive striking Round 2, during which he mounted Lima though could not finish. In Round 3, Talbott overcame some Lima success early to outbattle the Brazilian late in the fight – and subsequently get the nod from all three judges. Talbott, 26, turned heads for his flashy fighting style and unique personality coming out of Dana White's Contender Series in 2023. Following wins over Nick Aguirre, Cameron Saaiman, and Yanis Ghemmouri, Talbott lost for the first time as a pro vs. Raoni Barcelos in January. Lima, 27, loses for the first time since his pro debut in August 2015. Lima defeated Muhammad Naimov and Miles Johns in the UFC prior to Saturday's fight. Up-to-the-minute UFC 317 results:
USA Today
24-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Felipe Lima reveals ranked opponent withdrew from UFC 317, hopes Payton Talbott fight gets him similar opportunity
It might seem like a short-notice fight from the outside, but Felipe Lima knew about UFC 317 long before Payton Talbott entered his equation. Lima (14-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will kick off Saturday's UFC 317 main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but Talbott (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) wasn't his original foe. "They called us, I was already in camp, I knew I was going to fight," Lima recently told MMA Junkie. "They called me five weeks ago. They called, and I don't know if I can say, but I will say anyway, (to fight) Jonathan Martinez. He unfortunately got injured, and then we had some trouble finding another opponent. I was on the card five weeks ago. I was training. I was in camp." Lima is just excited to reenter the cage and continue the hot streak that's rolled on for his entire career, with the exception of the loss he turned in during his pro debut in 2015. Lima was one of the promotion's breakthrough performers in 2024, going 2-0 against Muhammad Naimov and Miles Johns after signing with the promotion as the OKTAGON bantamweight champion. "Since the beginning of my career, I never said no to anybody," Lima said. "We said yes to anyone, any time. That's just the way it is. I'm just fighting for my dream. I'm never going to deny a fight. If they offer, I'm going to say yes. All the fights they've been offering us, we've said yes to everybody. That's the way it's going to be – always." Shortly after the Johns fight in December, Lima suffered a broken foot. He needed to take a couple months off from training, but a summer fight was always the plan. He just didn't know it'd come against a fast-rising star like Talbott, nor on the pay-per-view portion of the UFC's International Fight Week card. "They're going to see that. The UFC is giving me the opportunity for the fight. I'm going to show Saturday night why I'm worthy and why I'm here. I'm here to stay and I can't wait." As a spectator, it's fun times in the UFC bantamweight division. Lima feels the same enthusiasm as a competitor, watching champion Merab Dvalishvili and others raise the bar. It's motivating – and has helped Lima set goals. "The division is packed," Lima said. "They have very good names and good fighters, as well. Merab is doing a good job as a champ. Well, you guys are going to see me. It depends on how the opportunity goes, if they give me a ranked guy, that's the way it is. It's not easy to get a fight in the rankings. Hopefully after this fight, they give me a ranked guy. That's probably one year when you're going to be seeing me in the top 10."
USA Today
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
OKTAGON confident in passing PFL as No. 2 MMA promotion – if it hasn't already
OKTAGON confident in passing PFL as No. 2 MMA promotion – if it hasn't already As MMA fans plead for PFL to find stability and assert itself as a viable alternative to the UFC, another budding promotion is making its own play for the No. 2 spot. After hosting its first event in December 2016, OKTAGON MMA has slowly but surely built momentum and a reputation in the industry. It has put on 86 events, with overwhelming majority happening in Czech Republic or Slovakia, with visits to Germany and England sprinkled in, as well. OKTAGON set an attendance record in October with more than 59,000 fans in Frankfurt, and that type of crowd didn't show up for no reason. The live event is not only a spectacle with shades of PRIDE and KSW mixed in, but the fights are often loaded with violence. "We really love our job, we love to sell out arenas and attract fans," OKTAGON co-promoter Pavol Neruda told MMA Junkie. "We have great TV deals around Europe, around the world actually. We're still trying to make it better. FightMatrix just said we are officially the third best promotion in the world after UFC and PFL. It's also very nice to hear that our effort is bringing it forward. We're always trying to deliver the most entertaining show for fans. This is the results. We are very, very happy with these events." Although the attendance numbers and interest in OKTAGON shows strong in Europe, Neruda, who is co-promoter along with his partner, Ondrej Novotny, admits there is still work to be done globally, and especially North America. That is still an untapped market for viewership, and he is confident it's there to be taken advantage of. Neruda said his company got a taste of what that audience can be during a streaming partnership with DAZN, but ultimately he said it wasn't as rewarding as desired, but there's confidence the next deal will have that upside. "Definitely we see North America as one of our most important markets," Neruda said. "We know that we have a great show. It's six hours of fun. It's good timing because it starts at noon and you can drink in the afternoon on Saturday with your friends and have a barbecue and watch fights. You don't have to wake up at 4 a.m. like we do to watch UFC here in Europe. It's in English, and it's a lot of entertainment. We know it has big potential. "We know the numbers when we used to be on DAZN. They were quite good, but we were not happy with the collaboration that much, so right now we are searching for a good partner, talking to different platforms in North America and we want to make a proper deal to make sure it will be super easy to access in North America for fans to watch, because we know it has great potential." As OKTAGON continues to build and hosts another event Saturday with OKTAGON 72 at Fortuna Arena in Prague (online pay-per-view), Neruda agrees there's a realistic path to taking the No. 2 position in the sport that PFL arguably holds purely by default. He said there is already data that shows the race is much closer than the casual fan might believe, and now it's Neruda's job to make sure that opportunity to grasped. "Many people say, 'But guys, you are already No. 2.' If you look at the metrics of how many people are going to our tournaments. PFL has a problem to sell small arenas for 20 pounds in the UK, for example, and we are selling every arena in Germany, Czechoslovakia at about 10,000," Neruda said. "Also the viewership, we know the numbers from DAZN, and they told us pretty fast, 'OK guys, you have better numbers than PFL and we don't even promote you that much because PFL is our product.' Depends how you look at it. I think the No. 2, if we are not there, we will be there very soon, and it's an amazing feeling. "I totally respect the UFC. That's the Olympics of our sport. I love them, and I love to watch it. It's too far. From the second place to first it's a pretty long way way. We would be very, very happy to be the No. 2 and the No. 1 in Europe for fans. Maybe for many people to be the most entertaining show in the world. In this category maybe we will be No. 1 from the perspective of some fans. That is our goal."
