OKTAGON MMA are expanding further internationally this year with the U.K. and Ireland being an important focus for the top European promotion. It was recently revealed that the organization is launching the “Stage to the Cage” project, where two U.K. celebrities will train MMA for 10 months before facing each other in late 2023 at the first ever OKTAGON MMA event in England.
John Hathaway, Lee Chadwick and James Lewis are Englishmen who signed deals with the company last year, but they are now being joined by some new additions.
We are delighted to announce that standout U.K. talents Shem Rock and Liam Etebar have signed multi-fight contracts with OKTAGON MMA to join the deepest and most talented roster that the promotion has ever had. Details surrounding their debuts and opponents will be confirmed over the coming weeks.
Rock (8-1) is one of the hottest talents emerging from the U.K. and has a devastating 100 percent finishing rate, with all but one of those victories coming in the very first round. He has an incredible backstory which saw him flee from his hometown of Liverpool, spend many years abroad on the run from police and going to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. The 29-year-old trains at one of the best gyms in the country, Next Gen MMA, alongside scouse stars Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann. Rock has already put all of the OKTAGON MMA lightweights, and some of the featherweights too, on notice.
Etebar (8-2) has won seven of his professional victories by stoppage and is known for his aggressive style inside the cage. The Englishman, who recently competed for the LFL welterweight title, has finished opponents in 6, 10 and 16 seconds, proving he is highly dangerous from the off. He is ready to display his fan-friendly style to new audiences and show the best version of himself yet in his new home.
Be sure to follow OKTAGON MMA across all of our media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Website. Also, for all of the latest news in OKTAGON MMA, watch out for new episodes of OKTAGON HYPE (our magazine show specifically produced for international audiences) every two weeks on the OKTAGON UK & Ireland YouTube channel.
