Europe’s Oktagon MMA promotion will have plenty of UFC flair to it Saturday in Germany.
Oktagon 36 will feature five fighters with UFC experience, including the return of John Hathaway after more than eight years on the sidelines.
Check out the former UFC names you’re likely to know ahead of Oktagon 36.
Jeremy Kimball (ex-UFC) vs. Hatef Moeil
Kimball had a four-fight urn in the UFC from 2017-2018 and went 1-3. All three of his losses were first-round stoppages, but his win was an 81-second knockout of Josh Stansbury that earned him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus. After parting ways with the UFC, Kimball hooked up with Oktagon and has gone 3-1. After a lengthy time off, including during the pandemic, Kimball returned in April and finished Thomas Narmo with leg kicks in the first round.
Bojan Velickovic (ex-UFC, ex-PFL) vs. Leandro Silva (ex-UFC, ex-PFL)
Velickovic was on Season 19 of “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2013, but didn’t make his way to the promotion until 2016. He went 2-3-1, including a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus knockout of Nico Musoke. But after that, he had back-to-back decision losses in 2017 to Darren Till and Jake Matthews and found himself outside the UFC. He hooked up with the PFL, but went just 1-4-1 over the 2018 and 2019 seasons. He’s been on more of a roll lately, though, with five wins in his past six fights, including three under the Oktagon banner.
Leandro Silva (ex-UFC, ex-PFL) vs. Bojan Velickovic (ex-UFC, ex-PFL)
Brazil’s Silva came to the UFC through Season 2 of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.” He lost his promotional debut in 2013, then worked his way back outside the UFC with five straight wins. He went 3-3, including a $50,000 Performance of the Night submission of Charlie Brenneman in 2014. Since 2017, he’s done a mix of MMA and boxing, including fights for the PFL, Titan FC and Oktagon.
John Hathaway (ex-UFC) vs. Andre Ricardo
Hathaway has been inactive since March 2014 thanks to health issues, which MMA Junkie chronicled in September. At long last, he’ll make his return in a welterweight bout Saturday and no doubt will be hoping to fight his way back to the UFC. From 2009-2014, the Brit went 7-2 in the UFC.
Mallory Martin (ex-UFC, ex-Invicta) vs. Katharina Dalisda
Martin will be fighting for the first time since she parted ways with the UFC after a third loss in four fights in December 2021. She booked a fight in July with Invicta FC in July, but had to pull out. In the UFC, she had a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus submission of Hannah Cifers as her lone win with the promotion in August 2020.
