Ivan Buchinger vs. Richie Smullen OKTAGON 77 in Bratislava
Ivan Buchinger will return to Bratislava on October 4, 2025, to face Irish contender Richie Smullen at Tipos Arena. The bout headlines OKTAGON 77 in Bratislava, a card that features two €1 million Tipsport Gamechanger semifinal matchups and a lineup of regional contenders.
Ivan Buchinger vs. Richie Smullen
The 39-year-old Buchinger enters this meeting as the first-ever OKTAGON double champion. A veteran of more than 55 professional contests, he holds a 45-10 record with 27 submission victories and 12 knockout wins, reflecting an 86 percent finishing rate. Over the past year, Buchinger has recorded back-to-back stoppages, submitting Vladimír Lengál in the second round at OKTAGON 72 and earning a TKO over Hafeni Nafuta at OKTAGON 63, both before the midway point of round two.
pposite him stands SBG Ireland-trained Smullen, who has compiled 15 wins against three defeats and one draw over his professional career. At 34, Smullen first gained notice in 2018 on The Ultimate Fighter and went on to make six appearances for Bellator. In his OKTAGON debut at MMA 73 this summer, he stopped Vojto Barborík by TKO in round two, a performance that he regards as a blueprint for how to dethrone Buchinger on enemy soil.
OKTAGON 77
OKTAGON 77 will have additional high-stakes drama. In Tipsport Gamechanger action, Kerim Engizek squares off with Dominik Humburger in one semifinal, while Krzysztof Jotko battles Hojat Khajevand in the other. A tournament reserve contest pairs “Pirát” Krištofič against Jaime Cordero, and Vlasto Čepo meets Daniel Schwindt in a middleweight bout. Further bouts will be added in the weeks ahead.
With the storied Ondrej Nepela Winter Stadium serving as the backdrop, Buchinger and Smullen will vie to etch their names into OKTAGON history. A crowd that has produced some of the most intense atmospheres in European MMA is expected to rally behind the Slovak veteran, while Irish support will assemble behind Smullen.
