All twenty-two athletes scheduled to compete on the upcoming fight card successfully navigated the official weigh-in proceedings earlier today, setting the stage for what promises to be a memorable Halloween weekend of mixed martial arts action. OKTAGON 96 is set to take place tomorrow, Saturday, October 31, inside the state-of-the-art SAP Garden in Munich, Germany. As the promotion makes its high-profile return, fight fans around the globe are preparing for a massive event featuring a vacant championship belt, high-stakes divisional clashes, and an electric atmosphere in the heart of Bavaria.
With major implications for multiple weight classes, the card has captured the attention of the international MMA community. Beyond the championship gold hanging in the balance, several bouts feature elite contenders looking to cement their status as the next in line for title opportunities. The promotion has ensured widespread global access for the event, making sure that fans across continents can tune in to watch the action unfold live. OKTAGON 96 will be broadcast internationally on the promotion’s proprietary global platform, OKTAGON.TV, and streamed live via DAZN. Regional broadcasting partnerships will also bring the card directly into living rooms worldwide, with RTL+ carrying the action in Germany, TVP Sport broadcasting to audiences in Poland, and Combate covering fans in Brazil. The action-packed evening is scheduled to kick off at 5:00 PM GMT, 6:00 PM CET, 1:00 PM ET, and 10:00 AM PT.
Main Card
At the top of tomorrow night’s marquee is a high-stakes championship showdown that could make history for the sport in Germany. In the main event, Georgian phenom Amiran Gogoladze, holding an impressive professional record of 18-3, is set to lock horns with seasoned veteran Jessin Ayari, who brings a 19-6 record into the cage. Both fighters successfully made championship weight, with Gogoladze weighing in at 77.05kg (170lbs) and Ayari scaling at 77.1kg (170lbs). For Ayari, the bout represents a career-defining opportunity to become the very first male German champion in the history of the OKTAGON organization. Fighting on home soil inside the massive SAP Garden, Ayari will undoubtedly look to harness the energy of the partisan German crowd to propel himself past a dangerous and dynamic opponent in Gogoladze.
The co-main event offers an equally compelling narrative in the same stacked welterweight division. Former pound-for-pound number one Ronald Paradeiser, a veteran of the sport holding a 23-11 record, steps into the cage to face off against rising star Tyron Pfeifer, who enters the matchup with an 8-1 professional record. At the scales, Paradeiser registered at 77.5kg (171lbs), while Pfeifer weighed in at 77.4kg (171lbs). This clash between veteran savvy and youthful ambition carries significant weight within the division, as Paradeiser looks to reassert his dominance at the elite level while Pfeifer attempts to secure the biggest victory of his career against a proven world-class competitor.
Moving up to the heavyweight division, the card features a thunderous collision between two of the promotion’s most formidable knockout artists. Bulgarian tank Lazar Todev, holding a 14-7 record, will face off against power puncher Simon Biyong, who stands at 12-6. Both heavyweights tipped the scales in peak physical condition, with Todev weighing in at 107.5kg (237lbs) and Biyong registering at 107.3kg (237lbs). This heavyweight encounter is widely viewed by analysts as a potential title eliminator, with the winner positioning themselves directly in the conversation for the next shot at the heavyweight crown.
The excitement continues at a 73kg/161lbs catchweight bout featuring lethal finisher Gökhan Aksu, who boasts a 14-7-1 record, squaring off against promotional newcomer Rene Runge, who enters with a 14-8-1 slate. Aksu weighed in right on the limit at 73kg (161lbs), while Runge came in slightly heavy at 73.3kg (162lbs), missing the mark by 0.3kg or 1lb. Despite the slight weight infraction from the newcomer, athletic commissions and promotion officials have confirmed that the bout will proceed as originally scheduled. Aksu, known for maintaining a 100% stoppage rate throughout his career, will be looking to quick-fire his way to another finish, while Runge aims to spoil those plans and make a massive statement in his promotional debut.
Rounding out the main card action is a featherweight contest that promises fast-paced exchanges and technical striking. Michael Deiga-Scheck, weighing in at 61.5kg (136lbs), will stand across the cage from Lukáš Chotěnovský, who registered at 61.6kg (136lbs). Both men are eager to establish momentum in a competitive featherweight landscape, ensuring that the main card opener will set a high standard for the remainder of the evening.
Preliminary Card
The preliminary card features a robust lineup of international talent and fierce divisional battles, highlighted by a middleweight grudge showdown. The all-action Marek Bartl, holding an experienced 17-16 record, is locked in to face Irish knockout artist Brian Manning, who brings a 6-1 record into enemy territory. At the official weigh-ins, Bartl tipped the scales at 84kg (185lbs), while Manning registered at 84.3kg (186lbs). Given both fighters’ penchant for engaging in thrilling, high-tempo fights, this middleweight clash is widely anticipated to deliver fireworks early in the event.
In the welterweight division, Endrit Brajshori and Christian Mach are set to test their skills against one another. Both athletes hit the welterweight limit cleanly, with Brajshori and Mach both weighing in at 77.5kg (171lbs). The featherweight division will also see action as Henrique Madureira, weighing 65.7kg (145lbs), takes on Daniel Schordje, who weighed in at 66.25kg (146lbs).
Three additional bouts on the preliminary card saw fighters encounter difficulties on the scale, though all contests have been officially cleared to move forward following discussions between the camps. In a 72kg/159lbs catchweight contest, Hafeni Nafuka, famously known as "The Namibian Nightmare" and holding a 12-5 record, weighed in at 74.6kg (164lbs), missing the agreed catchweight limit by 2.6kg or 5lbs. His opponent, surging Ukrainian talent Ivan Klevets, successfully made weight at 71.9kg (159lbs). Despite the notable weight discrepancy, Klevets accepted the fight, and the bout will proceed as planned.
Similarly, in the welterweight division, Kevin Hangs weighed in at 78.5kg (173lbs), missing the limit by 0.9kg or 2lbs, while his opponent, Burak Kizilirmak, successfully made the weight at 77kg (170lbs). Their bout will likewise continue as scheduled. Finally, a lightweight preliminary matchup between Marat Nessar and Abdulmalik Aliev experienced a weight miss from Nessar, who registered at 72kg (159lbs) and missed the limit by 1.2kg or 3lbs. Aliev successfully hit the lightweight mark at 70.2kg (155lbs). Both fighters have agreed to step into the cage, ensuring that all eleven scheduled fights remain intact for tomorrow’s landmark event at SAP Garden.
