Almost 20,000 visitors set a record number of spectators at the “Oktagon MMA” mixed martial arts event in Cologne’s Lanxess Arena. The old record for an MMA event in Germany was clearly exceeded; in 2009, almost 13,000 martial arts enthusiasts came to Cologne-Deutz for a UFC competition.
German MMA star Christian Eckerlin returned to the cage after over a year and suffered defeat. The Frankfurter had to admit defeat to the former UFC fighter “Apollo” Silva from Brazil. “There are no losers today, we all won,” said Eckerlin despite the disappointment.
In the main fight at Oktagon 49, heavyweight Hatef Moeil (Düsseldorf) defeated Lazar Todev (Bulgaria) in a very intense fight. Both fighters were undefeated since 2018, Moeil’s streak held.
The next Octagon MMA event will take place on December 9th in the Czech Republic. In Germany, the fight day in Oberhausen continues on February 10, 2024.