MMA
Octagon has announced an unexpected title match! Vemola will find out the name of another potential challenger in June
The Octagon welterweight division has its king, but the title hasn’t been fought in quite some time. But that is about to change. The organization has announced an unexpected battle for the interim title, and the winner is expected to eventually challenge Karlos Vemola.
The Octagon welterweight division has its king, but the title hasn’t been fought in quite some time. But that is about to change. The organization has announced an unexpected battle for the interim title and the winner is expected to eventually challenge Karlos Vemola.
Karlos Vémola is still the king of the welterweight division, however his last fight in this division was last July when he defeated Aleksandar Ilic. Since then, not only has he not fought in the under-93kg division, he hasn’t fought at all.
Now, however, he is scheduled to fight Al Matava in Liberec at the agreed weight of up to 89 kilograms to fight for the title against Patrik Kinclo in May at middleweight. But the welterweight division has been stagnant for some time due to his prolonged absence and it’s time to shake things up.
The officially announced interim title fight will help to do that, but it is a bit of a surprise after all. It features Slovakian Pavol Langer, who shocked with his win over Rafael Xavier, and German Alexander Poppeck.
“An incredible story. Pavol Langer, a fighter who was forgotten or underestimated by many, fought his way into the world’s top 100. He beat Rafael Xavier in his last fight and now he will fight for the interim title. A wonderful story, he is making his way forward,” commented Pavol Neruda on Langer’s journey.
Overall, both fighters are ranked in the top 100 in the world. According to Fight Matrix, Poppeck holds the 91st position in the welterweight division, while Langer is ranked 98th.
Within the division, only Karlos Vémola is doing better in the rankings, and Stephan Pütze, who has been mentioned several times as another challenger to the Olomouc native, is still at 76. After all, he and Vémola had a few verbal shootouts and a staredown in the cage. Their fight definitely has meaning and momentum.
The fight between Poppeck and Langer will take place in June in Oberhausen, Germany. Their battle will grace the June 17th OKTAGON 44 tournament.
Source: Oktagon MMA, Sherdog, FightMatrix
