Marpo vs. Vémola or How did it all start? It took over 3 years from challenge to fight

The battle of Marpo vs. Vemola is coming up! After two postponements, nothing should stop it from happening. On May 21, the much anticipated OKTAGON Underground tournament will take place in Prague’s O2 Arena. But how did it come to be that a legend of Czech MMA and a popular rapper will face each other?

It was 2018. Back then, apparently the number one MMA organization called XFN organized a tournament in Prague’s O2 Arena in December. The gala event, called XFN 15, was attended by several great fighters, including boxer Vasil Ducár, legends like Ivan Buchinger, Lukáš Konečný and Karlos Vémola.

The main boxing match of the tournament was then provided by rappers Rytmus and Marpo, who more than helped to make the O2 arena very well filled.

And it was before this tournament that the story began to be written, which in just a few days will write its full stop. Karlos Vémola took on Brazilian fighter Flavio Rodrigo Magon in the tournament. The Terminator won his fight in the first round and immediately challenged Marpo in the interview afterwards.

“One of the haters was also Marpo. He said I wasn’t a complete fighter, he said I couldn’t beat Kinceloe and I beat him anyway. So if Marpo thinks I’m not complex and I can’t stand, I’ll drop to 82kg too and I’ll beat him in the stand-up if he gets past Rhythmus today. But he’ll never accept a challenge from a real animal, only from a guy who’s never wrestled, and that’s Rhythm, so you better root for him,” expressed Vemola in the cage at the time.

Since then, the two have met several times, Marpo was even a guest on the first episode of Vémola’s Karlos Show when their fight hadn’t been arranged yet. However, the announcement came midway through last year when the OKTAGON organization stepped in to promote the fight.

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The boxing match between the Czech MMA legend and the Czech rapper was supposed to take place in November, but due to the Terminator’s health issues, the fight had to be postponed until February. However, the tournament was subsequently postponed once more to May and it seems that there should be no further postponement.

Moreover, Marpo and Vémola met at the aforementioned Karlos Show, where OKTAGON promoter Ondřej Novotný was present together with them. Vémola again tried to get into Marpo’s head, trying to impress upon him that this was not just any fight, where nothing was at stake.

“And you didn’t think I was enjoying it? i haven’t been able to wrestle for 10 years and I want to capitalize on it before I turn 40,” Otakar Petrina, or Marpo,defended himself.

“Don’t forget how it came about. I don’t understand music, I may like Rhythm more than Marpo’s music, but from my position in life I wouldn’t dare to criticize that it’s sh**, that your lyrics suck. It started with me getting ready for some Brazilian and he started telling me somewhere that I can’t box and I’m just rolling. What’s it to you? You’re singing, you’ve been to the gym four times in the last couple of years and you’re gonna comment on my boxing? Come on, let’s try it with a real dude,” the Terminator countered.

Vemola said that Marpo has gotten sucked into the MMA world and that if he doesn’t understand rap, Marpo can’t understand his rolling. Petrina, for his part, added that he was in no way questioning Terminator’s wrestling qualities, merely stating that he simply has a bad attitude, but is top notch on the ground.

Then when the challenge came, Marpo didn’t think too much about it and just took it. It was mostly a matter of what sport it would be in. He immediately ruled out MMA, but he had no problem presenting himself in a stand-up fight, and that’s exactly what will happen on May 21!

Source:: XFN, OKTAGON MMA, Karlos Show