Lazar Todev vs Martin Buday Set for High-Stakes Heavyweight Clash at OKTAGON 89 in Bratislava

Lazar Todev and Martin Buday will collide in a high-stakes heavyweight bout at OKTAGON 89 in Bratislava, a matchup that could reshape the top of the division in one night. The three-round contest is set for Saturday, June 6, at the Tipos Aréna – Ondrej Nepela Winter Stadium, as part of OKTAGON MMA’s ten-year anniversary celebrations in Slovakia.

Lazar Todev squares off with Martin Buday in heavyweight collision at OKTAGON 89

OKTAGON 89 takes place on June 6, 2026, at the Tipos Aréna in Bratislava, Slovakia. The promotion has confirmed the show as a flagship stop on its tenth-anniversary tour, with a strong home-nation presence and multiple divisional storylines in play. Heavyweights Lazar Todev and Martin Buday are booked in a three-round bout at 265 pounds, with Todev entering at 13-7 and Buday at 16-3. The matchup has been announced as a clash between the promotion’s No. 1 and No. 2 ranked heavyweights, underlining its implications for future title contention.

Beyond the heavyweight headliner, OKTAGON has flagged OKTAGON 89 as a showcase night for Slovak talent. Middleweights Vlasto Čepo, Robert Pukač, and Marek Mazúch are all confirmed for the card, positioning the event as a key date for both the heavyweight and middleweight rankings in the region. With Bratislava already a regular host city for major OKTAGON events, the expectation is that a strong home crowd will be behind former champion Buday while also responding to Todev’s recent surge in form.

Lazar Todev

Bulgaria’s Lazar Todev arrives in Bratislava holding a 13-7 professional record and recognition as one of OKTAGON’s most dangerous heavyweights. Nine of his wins have come by knockout, underscoring his preference for stand-up engagements and his ability to end fights early when he finds his range. His status in the division grew after a memorable title fight against current two-division champion Will Fleury, a competitive battle that Todev lost on the scorecards but which significantly raised his profile and confirmed his place among the elite in OKTAGON’s biggest weight class.

Since that defeat, Todev has responded with back-to-back victories over UFC veterans Luis Henrique Barbosa and Josh Parisian. He outworked Henrique Barbosa in their 2025 meeting under the OKTAGON banner, using pressure and output to secure the win and get his title push back on track. Todev then faced Parisian, another name familiar to UFC fans through his Contender Series appearances and Octagon run, and secured a second consecutive victory over a former UFC fighter. Speaking earlier this year, Todev framed those wins as key steps in his route back to a title shot and acknowledged that beating multiple ex-UFC opponents strengthens his case in the eyes of fans and matchmakers.

Todev has already challenged for the OKTAGON heavyweight belt twice, first in the period following the departure of former champion Hatef Moeil, and later in his clash with Fleury. That experience at championship level, combined with his recent streak against UFC veterans, sets the stage for this bout with Buday as a potential final eliminator. If he can extend his run to three straight victories over former UFC heavyweights by defeating Buday in his opponent’s home country, Todev will have a strong argument for another shot at Fleury and the title.

Martin Buday

Slovakia’s Martin Buday returns to Bratislava with one clear objective: to restore his position in the heavyweight title conversation. Buday was the first-ever OKTAGON heavyweight champion before leaving the promotion to sign with the UFC several years ago. During his UFC tenure, he compiled an impressive 7-1 record, including a win over former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, and rose as high as No. 12 in the official UFC heavyweight rankings. Despite that record, the UFC chose not to re-sign him following a decision victory over Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida in July 2025, a move that surprised many observers given the division’s ongoing depth issues.

After his UFC exit, Buday re-signed with OKTAGON and was quickly matched with Fleury for the heavyweight title at OKTAGON 81, held in late December 2025. That night did not go to plan for the Slovakian contender, as Fleury stopped him by TKO in just 100 seconds to retain the belt, handing Buday only the second loss of his career and his first since returning to the promotion. The result reinforced Fleury’s status as a dominant champion and created an immediate rebuild scenario for Buday, who had entered the bout off a significant UFC win streak and with high expectations back home.

Buday’s record still reads 16-3 with seven knockouts and two submissions, and he remains one of the most experienced heavyweights in the OKTAGON roster. The matchup with Todev now offers him an opportunity to erase the memory of the Fleury defeat in front of a home crowd, and a victory over the Bulgarian contender would re-establish him as the leading challenger to the belt he once held.

OKTAGON has framed Todev vs. Buday as a battle between the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked heavyweights on its roster, and that label reflects what is at stake in Bratislava. On one side stands Todev, the Bulgarian knockout artist who has sharpened his game through title fights and consecutive wins over former UFC names, and who openly targets another shot at Fleury after learning from their first encounter. On the other stands Buday, the former OKTAGON champion and ex-UFC top-15 contender who returns to his home market seeking to show that his setback against Fleury was an exception rather than a sign of decline.

A strong performance from either man will likely carry significant influence in matchmaking discussions for the remainder of 2026, particularly if Fleury continues to defend his championship successfully. Whether it ends with a statement from Todev on enemy territory or a statement comeback from Buday at home, OKTAGON 89’s heavyweight showdown is poised to play a central role in shaping the next chapter of the division.