Exclusive | Krzysztof Jotko Recalls GSP’s Sparring Style Before Oktagon 77 “He smash you, he not going to hurt you.”
Krzysztof Jotko will return to the cage on October 4, 2025, at Bratislava for Oktagon 77, where he will meet Hojat Khajevand in a semifinal bout of the Tipsport Gamechanger tournament.
Oktagon 77
The European MMA Champions League, backed by a €1 million prize pool, has advanced to its final four following the quarterfinals held at Oktagon 74 in Prague. Jotko, a former UFC veteran with 11 wins under that banner, seeks to secure a place in the Gamechanger final and move one step closer to the tournament payout.
Oktagon 77 marks the second stop of the middleweight pyramid that began earlier this year. Sixteen fighters entered the bracket; eight advanced from quarterfinal matchups including Jotko’s victory over Marek Mazúch in August. The event on October 4 features two Gamechanger semifinals, with Jotko taking on Khajevand in one and the defending champion Kerim Engizek facing Dominik Humburger in the other. The winner of Jotko vs. Khajevand will compete for a six-figure purse and the tournament title at a later date.
Hojat Khajevand brings a professional record of eight wins and four losses into his semifinal appearance. The Iranian middleweight claimed his spot by submitting Piotr Wawrzyniak at Oktagon 74, demonstrating his ability to finish fights on the ground. Khajevand has competed in various European promotions since debuting in 2017 and holds a reputation as a durable opponent with a balanced skill set of striking and grappling.
Krzysztof Jotko
Krzysztof Jotko ’s preparation has included training where he spends most of his camp at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, working with wrestlers, jiu-jitsu specialists, and kickboxers under the guidance of coach Artem Levin, a former top contender who twice defeated Alex Pereira. Jotko described the environment as “The best in the world, with Olympic-level wrestlers and world-class grapplers.” Two to three weeks before fight night, he relocates to Germany, training at Planet Eater under Peter Sabota to adjust to time and climate changes ahead of his European bouts.
In an exclusive interview with Tim Wheaton of LowKick MMA, he explained:
“For all the time I live in Florida. So I train for every fight in American Top Team and then two, three weeks before the fight I come to Germany to Planet Eater to Peter Sabota gym. Yeah. And then I just like do little drills, little sparring and cut my weight and just acclimatize for Europe, you know. Because of course in Florida is hot, six hour difference. So I need to sometimes here, you know.
“This is the reason this gym is the best in the world. We have the best wrestlers, the best jujitsu fighters, the best kickboxers, everybody the best. Like the best kickboxer Artem Levin, he’s a coach. He was beat Alex Pereira two times and he beat him like he was on a vacation.
Early in his UFC career, Jotko had the opportunity to train with Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonald at TriStar Gym in Montreal. He recalls grappling rounds with GSP as “very smart and safe,” noting that their sessions helped him develop a measured approach to MMA exchanges. During that same camp, he lightly worked with MacDonald, who was recovering from an ankle injury sustained in his fight against Robbie Lawler, gaining exposure to high-level game plans and training protocols.
“My second fight in the UFC, I was in Montreal for eight weeks. I trained with Firas Zahabi, George St. Pierre, Rory McDonald.
“Beginning of career on UFC, so I do couple rounds, couple rounds like grappling with Georges. Georges was very good, very smart and a very safe partner like even he smash you, he not going to hurt you, so it’s very good training with him. When I was there Rory MacDonald just finished the fight with Robbie Lawler. He was after this fight, so he had injured ankle and he was a little damaged after this fight, so we trained a little bit but not too much.”
The semifinal bout against Khajevand will test Jotko’s ability to manage distance and pace against an opponent known for his wrestling base and submission threats. As the Tipsport Gamechanger tournament moves into its semifinal phase, Jotko’s bout with Khajevand carries significant implications both for the €1 million championship and for Jotko’s own legacy as he seeks another title opportunity inside Europe’s top promotion.
