Our last card of the year, OKTAGON 51, will take place this Friday, December 29 at the magnificent O2 Arena in Prague. For the first time in OKTAGON MMA history, open scoring will be used so that all athletes and their corners know exactly where they stand with the judges after each round. The public and spectators will also be informed about scorecards in development that will provide a new level of excitement and sporting experience for fans.
In the main event, Bojan Veličković (24-12-1) represents Serbia against Greek Spartan Andreas Michailidis (16-6), in the final of the €1 million Tipsport Gamechanger welterweight tournament. The elite 16-man European field began in March and has been whittled down until only the two toughest athletes remain. Both Veličković and Michailidis scored huge first-round knockouts in their semi-final fights over David Kozma and Louis Glismann respectively. Who will walk out of the O2 Arena as winner of the inaugural European MMA Champions League with a life-changing €300,000 prize money and national pride?
Lethal Slovakian finisher Vlasto Čepo (12-2) clashes with Babilon MMA champion Piotr Wawrzyniak (11-5) in the co-feature for the interim middleweight belt. The king of the division, Patrik Kincl, was going to defend his title against ‘El Chapo’ on Friday night, but had to withdraw after suffering a serious injury. The Pole intervened late and knows that he has been presented with the opportunity of his career against a great favorite of the organization’s fans. Čepo is one of the most intimidating men in the promotion and stopped all of his opponents in defeating him before the end of the second round. It is highly unlikely that judges will be needed in this case!
Old rivalries resurface in a highly anticipated fight when Czech superstar Karlos Vémola (36-7) competes inside the O2 Arena for the final time against OKTAGON MMA legend Samuel Krištofič (16-6), weighing 88.5 kg/195 lbs. . The couple’s history goes back many years, but until now they have never had the opportunity to resolve their differences inside the cage. Will it be ‘The Terminator’ or ‘Pirát’ who earns the ultimate bragging rights and proves that he is a superior fighter once and for all? Learn more about the intriguing backstory of this fight in the ‘Showdown’ section below.
Former Glory kickboxer Daniel Škvor (6-3) takes on the man known as ‘King Kong’, Martin Zawada (29-18-1), in an exciting light heavyweight showdown expected to produce fireworks. Additionally, devastating striker, Ion Surdu (14-5), is looking for another notable knockout when he takes on former Cage Warriors and Venator FC champion, Stefano Paternò (15-4-1), at welterweight in a Tipsport Gamechanger. reserve combat.
Elsewhere on the card, fresh off a four-fight streak in Bellator, Chiara Penco (8-4), returns to the promotion to take on French all-rounder Eva Dourthe (7-5), in a contest for contender number one strawweight. and Radek Roušal (1-0) continues his transition to MMA against British featherweight fighter Kallum Parker (2-2, 1NC).
OKTAGON 51 Fight CardDecember 29 – Prague, Czech Republic
Principal card
Main EventTipsport Gamechanger Final Bojan Veličković (24-12-2) vs. Andreas Michailidis (16-6)
Co-Main EventOKTAGON MMA Interim Middleweight TitleVlasto Čepo (12-2) vs. Piotr Wawrzyniak (11-5)
Caught weight (88.5 kg/195 lbs) Karlos Vémola (36-7) vs. Samuel ‘Pirate’ Kristofič (16-6)
Light HeavyweightDaniel Škvor (6-3) vs. Martin Zawada (29-18-1)
Tipsport Gamechanger Reserve BoutIon Surdu (14-5) vs. Stefano Paternò (15-4-1)
preliminary card
Catch weight (68 kg/150 lbs) Karol Ryšavý (12-6) vs. Henrique Madureira (6-4)
Strawweight #1 Contender Fight: Chiara Penco (8-4) vs. Eva Dourthe (7-5)
Featherweight Radek Roušal (1-0) vs. Kallum Parker (2-2, 1NC)
Caught weight (55 kg/121 lbs) Magdalena Šormová (11-4) vs. Mallory Martin (7-6)
Lightweight Tomáš Fiala (7-6, 1NC) vs. Hassan Shaaban (2-1)
Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer and Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. He is passionate about combat sports and is also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He is also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.
