Oktagon 39 Preview; Jungworth v De Oliveira; Keita v Bark

Oktagon will continue their push into Germany this Saturday evening. The Czech/Slovak promotion brings Oktagon 39 to the Audi Arena in Germany. 6,500 spectators will be treated to eleven bouts under Oktagon MMA rules.

Christian Jungwirth (12-6) is tasked with headlining the show. The German is 4-4 in the promotion and has been a big player on the local scene over there. The Stuttgart man is a boxer who has finished his last three wins inside the distance. He is looking to get back into the win column following a defeat to Máté Kertész last time out. Denilson Neves De Oliveira (16-9) is no stranger to fighting in Germany having fought Christian Eckerlin twice in Frankfurt in his last couple of fights. The Brazilian came up short back in October and also lost two bouts in KSW a few years back, so he’s still searching for that elusive win at the top of European MMA. The 27-year-old will likely try and meet Jungworth on the feet, however he isn’t the most devastating finisher in the world.

Alexander Poppeck (15-4) will be competing in his hometown of Munich. The 30-year-old is a Muay Thai fighter and trains out of Munich Top Team. The heavyweight’s game plan is usually to take you down and finish with ground and pound, including winning his last three on the bounce via that method. Martin Zawada (29-17-1) is an absolute legend of German MMA. The 39-year-old was a KSW mainstay, going 5-5 throughout his career. He runs his own gym out of Düsseldorf and is the older brother of ex UFC player Dawid. “King Kong” has been going for twenty years now as a pro and won’t be shy trading shots. The big man does have a wrestling and BJJ game as well. A clash of the titans.

Losene Keita (9-0) is a star waiting to break out. The Guinea man has been a sensation so far for Oktagon, going 3-0 in MMA and 1-0 in Muay Thai. The 25-year-old won the OKMMA Lightweight Championship via knockout against Ivan Buchinger last summer. Featherweight is the destination this time out. The “Black Panther” is a slick striker with fight-ending power. He’s been unstoppable to date. We are in for a treat as newcomer Samuel Bark (8-1) will meet him down at 145lbs. The Swede comes after going 3-0 in Cage Warriors, along with wins at UAE Warriors and Superior Challenge. The Halmstad man is also a Muay Thai specialist and has big statement wins using his knees against Manny Akpan and compatriot Tobias Harila. This is high level striking and even higher level MMA.

Rafael Xavier (11-6) has made a nice home for himself in Oktagon, winning all four of his bouts to date, three of which coming within the first couple of rounds. Born in Brazil, the 32-year-old will be representing Germany on the night and he trains in Berlin. “Kratos” is a knockout threat on the feet and a leg lock menace on the ground. Pavol Langer (10-9) is more of a grappler and submission artist. The Slovakian is 3-3 in the promotion and does have a powerful punch to keep you honest. He’ll most likely want to take this down though.

Ronald Paradeiser (15-8) is always a bit of fun. “Rony” is a karate expert who has added a submission threat to his arsenal. The Slovakian has had a strong strength of opposition to date in Oktagon, with his losses only coming to fighters at the top of the rankings (Losene Keita, Ivan Buchinger, Mateusz Legierski and Matěj Kuzník). The Bratislava man is a threat everywhere, can finish standing or on the ground and has the stamina to cause issues throughout the full fifteen minutes. Vladimir Šikić (12-1-1) is a newcomer with a good reputation. The Croatian trains out of Berlin and will compete for the first time in two years. The 32-year-old won via rear naked choke last time at EMC 8. “Sunshine” was a cast member on TUF 22 but lost via injury stoppage in his qualifying match.

Hatef Moeil (13-4) is another big old boy on the card. The German has been a wrecking machine since 2018, picking up nine consecutive wins and six stoppages. The 36-year-old will bludgeon you on the feet or on the ground, he doesn’t discriminate. Wallyson Carvalho (13-7) has a four-fight win streak of his own to bring into this. The 32-year-old Brazilian is also a heavy hitter and will relish the opportunity to throw bungalows here.

James Lewis (8-4) had an impressive debut last September with a first round rear naked choke submission win against Selim Topuz. The Englishman is a Muay Thai fighter and a Cage Warriors veteran. Despite his striking background, his main method of victory is submission. Niklas Stolze (12-6) was recently released from the UFC after an 0-3 run, having been very unlucky with the matchmaking. The German has a good kick-boxing base with a nice knack of sinking in the rear naked choke. The road back to the big show starts here.

Vladimír Lengál (4-2) is an extremely active martial artist. The Znojmo man made his debut in 2020 and dropped his first couple of bouts, however it’s been a perfect 4-0 since then. Outside of MMA, he competes in pro boxing, kick-boxing and Muay Thai. This man just knocks people out for fun and it doesn’t usually take him very long. Michael Deiga-Scheck (10-4) will have the hometown support behind him. The German is a former foe of Frans Mlambo and has gone 2-0 under the Oktagon banner. The 37-year-old is a submission expert and will only have eyes on taking this to the mat. Can he get it there before Lengál lands?

Robert Pukač (16-10-1) is a plucky Oktagon veteran. The Slovakian can do a bit of everything and is a tough man to finish. The 30-year-old is a warrior and will scrap wherever this fight ends up. Dominic Schober (13-10) is of similar stock. The 31-year-old Austrian is an any time/any place kind of guy. “The Dom” has won his last two and will fight for as long as his legs will carry him.

Marek Bartl (10-12) is a man in need of a win after losing three on the trot. The Czech is a boxer who generally goes to decisions when fights go his way. Kevin Hangs (8-6) is another German veteran competing on home soil. The Reilingen man is a good wrestler with strong ground and pound, along with a submission threat.

The YouTube free fight features Italian prospect Francesco Bocca (2-0). The welterweight trains in one of Europe’s top gyms, UFD Gym in Düsseldorf. He has finished both his contests in the first round, one via submission and the other via knockout. Tayo Odunjo (4-2) wants to take that 0. The Englishman is a knockout artist, winning 3 of his 4 with his fists. This should be a fun way to start the night.

Oktagon 38 is live on Saturday evening and is exclusively on PPV at Oktagon.tv from 17:00 Irish time.