Krzysztof Jotko would not be denied.Packed to the rafters of the PSD Bank Dome in Dusseldorf, Germany, some 15,000 spectators witnessed the quick conclusion of the Czech league’s middleweight tournament. The 185-pound Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran made a mark at the Oktagon MMA 16-man Grand Prix on Saturday. Only one of the two athletes lasted more than three and a half minutes, with Jotko (29-6, 1 NC) chasing the retreating Kerim Engizek (24-5) around the cage for much of that time. Finally, Jotko got a hold of his foe’s back, nailed the rear naked choke and wouldn’t let go until the champion surrendered.
Engizek failed to engage for most of the encounter, and a lone, half-hearted takedown attempt was answered by the opposing Jotko, who took full advantage of the situation. In the blink of an eye, Jotko took control and finished the submission, with Engizek barely throwing a punch over the three minutes and 37 seconds the match lasted. The winner promptly danced around the cage before hoisting the enormous trophy into the air along with his top American team comrades.The Polish tournament winner wasted no time in ending Engizek’s 10-year, 17-fight win streak, claiming his first submission triumph since a knock over Fabian Loewke in 2012. Jotko collected 300,000 euros for his handiwork, and confetti showered the cage as the event came to a close. In the win, Jotko suggested that a rematch might be in order, as Engizek came into this match with an injury so serious that some wondered if he would be able to compete at all.
Here is John
Featherweight contender Gjoni Palokaj (13-3) is nothing if not consistent. For all six of his Oktagon appearances, the German has recorded a zero on all judges’ scorecards. This includes tonight’s performance, when he defeated James Hendin (10-4) every round in a fight decided not by big moments but by small mistakes. Palokaj defeated his foe on the feet by a decent margin and did not allow the Brit to convert his takedowns into success.Even though Hendin kept it relatively close and won some hearts and minds with his walk-out of Boney M.’s “Daddy Cool,” there was no doubt whatsoever about the winner when the dust settled. Palokaj claimed a trio of 30-27 scores and called his chance not on an opponent, but to compete again in his native Germany.
Rysavy shuts down ‘El Pistolero’
Karol Rysavy (15-10) threw a beer on the top of the cage after nailing a slick guillotine choke on Deniz Ilbay (8-3) near the end of the first round. The third time proved to be the charm, as the old Oktagon vet put a bit of green on a ledger that had otherwise turned red of late. The smaller Ilbay showed great success at the feet, knocking down the taller man’s head while Rysavy’s chin remained far too high for his own liking.
During an exchange, Ilbay pinned the featherweight against the fence but was caught in the guillotine by his opponent. The bearded “Bomby” promptly jumped guard and sealed the submission before they hit the ground. “El Pistolero” immediately tapped and eventually left the cage in frustration as Rysavy celebrated. The tap came at 3:49 of the first round, with the victorious Rysavy welcoming fans to watch him fight in his home country of Slovakia when the promotion travels there in June.
Dangerous Dulatov delivers
Tamerlan Dulatov (4-0) raced out of his corner like his hair was on fire and passed Stefan Koncar (4-1) in less than a lap. ‘Most Wanted’ Dulatov stung the then-undefeated Koncar with huge swings and flipped through a book of submissions, including a Suloev piece and a deep rear naked choke. When Koncar briefly changed position, the German hit a triangle choke.
“The Butcher” survived the triangle, but couldn’t get out of position to prevent Dulatov’s transition into a textbook armbar. As Dulatov twisted the limb with all his might, referee Josef Louc intervened at 4:46 of round 1 when he registered Koncar tapping. Earning his BJJ brown belt for his performance in this 180-pound catchweight match, the excited Dulatov refused to shake hands with his defeated foe and instead demanded an apology for their pre-fight trash talk.
‘Sagat’ rises again
A well of experience and accurate hitting overcame youthful exuberance as the main card opener showed off 15 minutes of action. Ex-UFC striker David Zawada (20-12) recorded a first-round knockdown, and his aggressive forward push got the better of youngster Daniel Ligocki (5-3). The 28-year-old came in on short notice to keep the middleweight tournament’s reserve match intact, with the winner on standby in case the main event fell through – even if it didn’t.
With “Sagat” winning the opening round and Ligocki taking second place on the open scorecards, the three voting members were split as two lost 29-28 for Zawada to one 29-28 for the Czech athlete. The Dusseldorf native righted the ship after a three-fight skid, earning his first victory since 2024 and only his third at the hands of the judges.
Mohsen Defangs Bark in Oktagon 82 Prelim headliner
Zafar Mohsen (14-4, 1 NC) closed out the preliminaries by defeating featherweight Samuel Bark (13-3) to take the nod on all three scorecards (29-28, 29-28, 30-27); Kamil Oniszczuk (12-5) earned his BJJ brown belt by putting Marek Bartl (16-15) to sleep with an arm-triangle choke in Round 2 at 4:32; Tomas Ciganik (7-3) delivered a back-naked choke on fellow 155er Maurice Adorf (6-4) to hand the striker his first submission defeat at 4:11 of the opening frame; Lightweight Altin Zenuni (3-0) punched Murat Tuysuz (5-1) with his fists, forcing referee Gerd Richter to intervene at 2:44 of the second stanza; Patrik Sebek (3-0) defeated a bloodied Emir-Can Al (2-3) en route to a unanimous verdict (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at welterweight; Kicking off the prelims in a 173-pound catchweight match, Arian Sadikovic (2-0) defeated Jixie Molapo (1-2) and put him away with a barrage of punches at 0:38 of the second round.
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