OKTAGON 38: 20,000 fans set to witness interim title clash on Friday

OKTAGON 38 goes down this Friday night (December 30) and marks the promotion’s final event of 2022. The stunning O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic will host the thirteen-fight card that features some of the biggest stars in the organisation across a range of fun matchups. Around 20,000 fans are expected to pack out the venue meaning the show is trending towards having the biggest attendance this year for an MMA event in Europe.

In the main event, Filip Macek looks to claim OKTAGON MMA gold at the third time of trying when he faces a UFC veteran making his promotional debut on one week’s notice, Gustavo Lopez.

Macek (27-16-1) was originally scheduled to challenge bantamweight champion, Jonas Mågård, in a rematch for his belt at this event but ‘Shark’ withdrew due to an injury. However, the last-minute change of opponent has left the Czech fighter undeterred in his quest for the championship that would mark the biggest achievement of his forty-four fight career. The 31-year-old finisher believes that his game has never been as complete as it currently is and thinks now is the perfect time to show what he is truly capable of.

Lopez (12-6-1) won the Combate Americas bantamweight title back in 2019 with a first-round knockout which punched his ticket to the UFC. He competed for the company four times and shared the cage with top ranked talents, Merab Dvalishvili and Adrian Yanez. The American has never competed in Europe before but wants to make an instant impact in OKTAGON MMA by adding another belt to his resume. Both men have produced 35 combined stoppages out of 39 victories which indicates it is highly unlikely this bout will reach the final horn.

Filip Macek (left) takes on Gustavo Lopez (right) for the interim bantamweight belt

In the co-headliner, undefeated lightweight champion, Losene Keita (9-0 MMA), returns to competition against Slovak striking legend, Milan Minči Paleš (42-9-1 kickboxing/muay thai), in a special underground rules bout at 71kg/157lbs. Keita, who is one of the best prospects on the continent, has a plethora of options across multiple divisions in his MMA career but wants to test his stand-up skills against the man who beat three opponents in one night to win the last man standing tournament. Will ‘Black Panther’ show that he is elite across different disciplines or will Paleš hand the Belgian sensation his first ever loss?

Two of the biggest personalities in OKTAGON MMA collide when Gábor Boráros (19-10-1 MMA) meets ‘Baba Jaga’ Václav Mikulášek (8-10 MMA) in a 86kg/190lbs boxing contest inside the cage. Both men were having tough times in their careers until they recently picked up first round finishes to get themselves back in the win column. Fists will fly in the 02 Arena when this exciting pair lace up the gloves and throw down.

In another feature bout, #2 ranked light heavyweight, Rafael Xavier (11-6), looks to continue the best run of his career and potentially earn himself a shot at the belt when he takes on Bellator and Cage Warriors veteran, Lee Chadwick (28-17-1), at a catchweight of 91.5kg/202lbs. Furthermore, former Glory kickboxer, Daniel Škvor (5-1) intends on displaying his devastating power once more against former French boxer, Jorick Montagnac (3-1), in an important bout at 205lbs.

Gábor Boráros (left) faces ‘Baba Jaga’ (right) in a boxing match

Elsewhere on the card, top Czech talent, Matěj Peňáz (6-1), aims to score another point against bitter rival, Vlasto Čepo, by defeating the man who the Slovak striker could not, Joel dos Santos (16-7), in a middleweight contest and Alex Lohore (21-8) drops back down to welterweight to face the surging Matúš Juráček (9-2). To open the evening, talented OKTAGON Challenge Germany finalist, Hassan Shaaban (0-1), squares off with Martin Pipek (1-0), who beat Simeon Kapuya from the same TV series in his professional debut four months ago, in a 74kg/163lbs catchweight bout.

OKTAGON 38 will be broadcast live around the world on OKTAGON.TV and kicks off at 5pm GMT/6pm CET.

OKTAGON 38 Fight Card

December 30th – Prague, Czech Republic

Main Card

Main Event

OKTAGON MMA Interim Bantamweight Title

Filip Macek (27-16-1) vs. Gustavo Lopez (12-6-1)

Co-Main Event

Underground Rules (71kg/157lbs)

Losene Keita (9-0 MMA) vs. Milan Minči Paleš (42-9-1 kickboxing/muay thai)

Welterweight

Alex Lohore (21-8) vs. Matúš Juráček (9-2)