A Night of Brutal Knockouts – Oktagon 70
On Saturday, April 26th, we witnessed one of the greatest tournaments in Oktagon MMA history. Oktagon 70 saw 7 KO/TKOs. The hospital in Karlovy Vary was full because of the brutal knockouts delivered at Oktagon 70. Let’s recap:
Hojat Khajevand v Lukasz Siwiec- 1st round knockout
Hojat Khajevand took on Lukasz Siwiev in a Tipsport Gamechanger Reserve bout, and flashed the leather, winning via KO for the 2nd time in a row. Khajevand waited for his opportunity and landed a brutal barrage of uppercuts, which led to the referee pulling him off after 3:25 into the first round. If any fighters in the Tipsport Gamechanger Middleweight Tournament has to pull out of their Quarter-Final bout, Khajevand will be ready to step in.
Radek Rousal v Karol Kutyla-2nd round knockout
Radek Rousal walked out in a butcher costume, referencing his opponent’s nickname, and that is exactly what he did. Rousal butchered Kutyla. After a back-and-forth first round, Rousal found success when he went to the body and stepped on the Gas pedal. Pressuring Kutyla backwards, Rousal whaled on Kutyla with ferocious punches to the body, and knees to the head, and eventually crumbled Kutyla into a ball. The night was only getting started, and we saw two brutal finishes.
Daniel Skvor v Marc Doussis- 1st round knockout
This Knockout might have been the most brutal of the night. After Marc Doussis started well, dropping Daniel Skvor, he weathered the storm and landed a jaw-dropping left hook that seized up Doussis and sent him crashing into the canvas. Doussis was out for 2 minutes, and a stretcher was called in for the German Light-Heavyweight. Doussis was stretchered out, and brought to the Hospital for further checks. Thankfully, he suffered no significant injuries beyond the Knockout loss. Skvor called for a potential rematch with Will Fleury next.
Andrej Kalasnik v Mate Kertesz- 1st round knockout
Just when you think you saw the best KO of the night, “Vagabund” delivered a stunner. After a patient start, the Czech fan-favorite set up a beautiful overhand right knockout. Kalasnik set up the knockout by feinting his signature lead overhand, and made Kertesz pay for biting, knocking the Hungarian out cold. The crowd went beyond wild. Kalasnik now finds himself on the brink of the top 5, with potential matchups with the winner of Christian Eckerlin v Rober Pukac next.
Piotr Wawrzyniak v Marek Mazuch- 1st Round Knockout
Prior to this fight, there were a lot of questions. Could Piotr Wawrzyniak take the power of Marek Mazuch? Wawrzyniak is known for his chin and toughness, but to date, he hasn’t taken on a fighter with as much power as Mazuch packs. Well, he answered that question. Wawrzyniak took Mazuch’s best shots, and starched him. In a wild exchange, where both Middleweights were trading blows, and Wawrzyniak landed a picture-perfect left hook. He will now take on Matej Penaz in the Quarter.Final of the Tipsport Gamechanger Middleweight Tournament. Can he take that power? We will find out in June.
Vlasto Cepo v Erhan Kartal- 1st Round Knockout
The fan-favorite Vlasto Cepo showed fans once again why he is a fan-favourite. This fight was a war from the opening bell. Both fighters were trading shots, but in the end Cepo landed the consequential blow. Cepo stunned Kartal, and while Kartal tried to back away, “El Chapo” stalked his prey and popped Kartal with a straight right against the fence.
Dominik Humburger v Samuel Kristofic- 2nd round knockout
On a night that had already delivered, this was the cherry on top. From the opening bell, caution was thrown into the wind. Early in the 1st round, Kristofic was getting the better of the exchanges, dropping Humburger with an overhand. Humburger grew into the fight, landing with conviction. In the 2nd round, Humburger was the fresher fighter. Humburger stunned “Pirat”, and applied pressure against the fence, and then sent Kristofic face-down into the canvas with a sneaky elbow to the side of the head. The crowd erupted, and everyone was on their feet. This fight was one of the greatest fights in Oktagon MMA history. Writing can’t do it justice, you just have to watch the war unfold.
