OKTAGON 83 goes to Stuttgart on January 31, 2026, with German Niko Samsonidse facing Austrian Mochamed Machaev for the vacant featherweight championship at Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle. The five-round title fight marks a comeback story against the increasing aggression in European MMA’s most watched promotion.
OCTANGLE 83
Samsonides will be the first to participate in the competition OCTAGON’s featherweight division and 62nd worldwide with a 12-3 record. The 31-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt from Spitfire Gym Berlin bears the scars of a career that nearly ended in May 2021 when his left leg broke during a kick attempt at National Fighting Championship 3. Doctors warned he might never compete again because the bone refused to heal properly for more than 18 months.
The Berlin-based fighter returned to competition in April 2023 on OKTAGON 42, defeating Roman Paulus by unanimous decision. Since resuming his career, Samsonidse has put together a four-fight win streak in OKTAGON, defeating three opponents. His most recent win came in February 2025 when he stopped Edgar Delgado with a leg kick TKO in the third round at OKTAGON 67. His only loss during this period came at OKTAGON 50 in December 2023, where he was knocked out by then-champion Losene Keita in the second round.
The title became vacant after Keita signed a contract with the UFC in August 2025, giving up both his featherweight and lightweight championships. Keita’s UFC debut in Paris was subsequently canceled when he lost three pounds, marking the first time he has failed to gain weight in 25 professional fights.
Machaev brings a 16-2 record into the championship fight at age 25. The Austrian fighter from Soma Fight Club has established himself through calculated aggression and finishing ability. His signature victory came at OKTAGON 54 in March 2024, when he knocked out former UFC fighter Makwan Amirkhani in the third round. Amirkhani, who has the fastest knockout in UFC featherweight history at eight seconds, was dominated after his cardio failed.​
OKTAGON 83 marks the third event of the promotion in Stuttgart in the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle with a capacity of 15,500 people. The event will be streamed on OKTAGON.tv and DAZN, with pay-per-view for approximately 10 euros. The card features multiple fights outside of the main event, continuing OKTAGON’s expansion across Germany and Europe.
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