OKTAGON MMA arrive in Liberec for the very first time on Saturday, April 15 and are bringing the biggest card that the Czech city has ever seen. Home Credit Arena hosts OKTAGON 41 which features a much-anticipated title fight alongside the return of a European MMA superstar. The event is packed with exciting matchups that are guaranteed to provide many memorable moments as we continue our unrivaled, blockbuster schedule across the continent.
In the main event, the bantamweight belts will be unified when the supremely confident and outspoken Jonas Magard puts his title on the line against interim champion Gustavo Lopez.
Magard (14-5) won OKTAGON MMA gold in just his second fight for the organization, defeating Filip Macek by unanimous decision in November 2021. The Manchester Top Team product was scheduled to defend his crown in front of 20,000 fans at O2 arena in Prague last year but had to withdraw from the fight just 10 days out when he broke his cheekbone. Now fully recovered, “Shark” has been taunting his rival on social media in the lead up to this unification contest and wants to prove definitively that he is the best in the promotion at 135 pounds, picking up the biggest win of his career in the process.
Lopez (13-6-1) is a former Combate Americas bantamweight champion who stepped up on short notice to replace Magard at OKTAGON 38 in Prague. The bout, which was for the interim belt in the champion’s absence, was the UFC veteran’s debut for the company and he dominated Macek – a common opponent for the headlining pair – submitting him in the first round. As soon as Lopez’s hand was raised, fans were already speculating about how a unification matchup would play out considering the intriguing clash of styles. All questions will finally be answered on Saturday night.
To gain even more insight into this weekend’s headliner, watch the full episode of “OKTAGON 41: Showdown” below.
In the co-main event, Czech MMA superstar Karlos Vemola begins his drop back down to middleweight when he takes on hard-hitting Al Matavao.
Vemola (33-6) won the OKTAGON MMA light heavyweight title last July and was preparing to face Patrik Kincl in an attempt to become a double champion. However, an extremely serious health condition that left “The Terminator” hospitalized postponed their personal grudge match. It was a life-threatening situation, so Vemola has spent the last couple of months recuperating and getting himself back to full health. With his middleweight title shot now rescheduled for May 20, a 196-pound catchweight bout in Liberec presented the perfect opportunity for the 37-year-old to step back into competition while aiding his eventual weight cut.
Matavao (10-5) is a veteran of Dana White’s Contender Series and made his promotional debut against Samuel “Pirat” Kristofic in June 2021. Since then, he has picked up two highlight-reel knockout victories over Pavel Salcak and Marek Mazuch in impressive fashion. “Sweetness” is an underdog going into Saturday night’s co-headliner but another of Vemola’s upcoming opponents, Attila Vegh, highlighted that the American Samoan should not be underestimated and poses a legitimate threat to “The Terminator.”
A brilliant short documentary focusing on Karlos Vemola’s recent trials and tribulations ahead of his return can be watched in full below.
In another feature bout, Polish powerhouse Adam Palasz (8-1), looks to cement his shot at the vacant heavyweight title when he meets Lazar Todev (7-5), who is on a five-fight winning streak. Furthermore, kickboxing standout Daniel Skvor (5-2) faces MMA veteran turned bare-knuckle boxer Dan Vinni (22-17-2) at light heavyweight, and local favorite Jan Malach (14-13) will be eager to put on a show for the Liberec crowd against Ebrahim Hosseinpour (7-6) in a 161-pound catchweight contest.
Elsewhere on the card, Jorick Montagnac (4-1) takes on the much more experienced Mateusz Strzelczyk (13-13-1), hoping to place himself into light heavyweight title contention. One of the biggest personalities in the promotion, “Baba Jaga” Vaclav Mikulasek (8-10) is in search of another victory, and Slovak striker Robin Fosum (2-1) intends on making it three first-round knockout wins in a row when he returns after two years away.
There is plenty of German interest in the card with the first three fights of the night involving fledgling talents Zoran Solaja (2-0), Hafeni Nafuka (3-0) and Jamie Cordero (2-1).
OKTAGON 41 will be broadcast live around the world on OKTAGON.TV, as well as global platform DAZN in selected international markets. All of the action begins at 12 p.m. ET.
