Sweden is great for my development in MMA, sometimes we train in three phases, says Peñáz. After the fight in Ostrava he wants to take a longer break

Matěj Peňáz will compete in Ostrava at OKTAGON 32. He will face another experienced opponent who has also competed in Bellator. He came to the match from Sweden, where he is staying with his girlfriend for the whole year. How is Scandinavia working out for him and what does he have to say about his opponent?

Matej Peñaz is one of the biggest stars in the Octagon. Moreover, at 25 years old, he still has a lot to do. The elite stand-up is adapting to MMA very quickly and looks like he could go far.

A year in Sweden should help him to think of the highest standards and emulate the way of UFC champion Israel Adesanya, for example. “My girlfriend is doing an internship there and I’m preparing. It’s an ideal combination and it’s a benefit for both of us,” he expressed on the On Supervision series.

The Moravian fighter also trained with the best fighters in the Czech Republic, yet Sweden, specifically the famous All-Stars Training Center, surprised him. He told Slovak Sportnet that the fighters there focus more on grappling and wrestling, i.e. ground work.

Moreover, in Sweden they tend to have longer training sessions. “Sometimes they even train in three phases, which is something I’m not used to,” admitted Peňáz, who also trained with rising UFC star Khamzat Chimaev.

How good was Peñaz’s preparation? Giovanni Melillo, a 37-year-old fighter who fought in Bellator and even took on star Michael Venom Paige, will test that on Saturday in Ostrava. He has finished most of his fights by knockout.

According to the Brno native, the Italian has very decent boxing, so expect a stand-up fight where he will traditionally try to keep his distance and use the length of his arms. In addition, Peñáz believes he will be more versatile than his opponent.

“It will be a good test that will push me one step further again,” is clear to Peñáz, who wants to take a longer break after the fight.

He already wanted a longer break between fights after his last fight, but he didn’t refuse the offer to fight in Ostrava so as not to fall off the pace for an unnecessarily long period of time. After the duel with the Italian, however, he wants to take at least four or five months off.

The reason is simple. He wants to improve as much as possible. Although he says the fights are great, he says nothing will improve a fighter like regular training.

Source: On Surveillance, Octagon MMA, Sportnet