MMA
Where is the UFC? Oktagon boasts a great record, after unlucky event in England, it’s going to make up for it
Octagon has had its first tournament on English soil, which in a way remained far beyond expectations, at least in terms of attendance. In just a few days, however, the Czechoslovakian organization will make amends by wiping the UFC’s existing record off the table.
Oktagon has had its first tournament on English soil, which in a way remained far beyond expectations, at least in terms of attendance. In just a few days, however, the Czechoslovakian organization will make amends by wiping the UFC’s existing record off the table.
The smell after the first event in England
Did the owners of the organization have too big eyes? Oktagon showed up for its debut in England at the AO Arena in Manchester, which has a capacity of nearly 20,000. It is one of the largest arenas in the country. It was obvious that it would be hard to sell it out.
And indeed it was far from successful. Roughly five thousand spectators arrived in the stands. Certainly not a bad number for the first gala in a new country, but Oktagon hoped, wanted and expected more.
Celebrities Jake Quickenden and Paul Smith should have attracted attention, Scott Askham and the Oktagon Challenge, which had solid ratings in the UK and Ireland, should have also helped. Shem Rock was also trying to promote the fight in a big way, which ultimately wasn’t his fault.
The tournament itself didn’t do too well. The organisation was simply down on its luck. The main event was stopped by the doctor, and one of the biggest draws ended after 25 seconds due to an illegal groin strike.
But there are several positives. Quickenden showed potential, Oktagon Challenge winner George Staines could be a great character for a promo, and several scenarios for other duels were sketched out, for example Jonas Magard could face Jack Cartwright.
Among other things, brand co-owner Pavol Neruda revealed that the OKTAGON 48 tournament was watched by more than 400,000 people in the UK alone on DAZN AND Channel 4 Sport platforms.
Oktagon will return to the UK at the end of January. This time to a smaller venue in Newcastle, where he will be looking to make amends for his hesitation in Manchester. Before that, though, he’ll have to make sure he gets his appetite right.
Oktagon will sweep the UFC record
The Czechoslovakian organisation is set for another big event on November 18th. Once again it has taken a big bite, but it can handle it. Oktagon is heading to Cologne, one of the biggest halls in Germany.
Lanxess Arena has a capacity of 20 thousand seats. It’s the biggest gala in the organization’s history on German soil. And in fact, the biggest MMA event in German history. At least in terms of attendance.
The Oktagon has so far shone in Frankfurt’s Festhalle, Munich and Oberhausen, where arena capacities have ranged from 6,500 to 13,000.
The record attendance for an MMA gala in Germany was 12,854 spectators. That was in 2009 and it was in Cologne at the Lanxess Arena that UFC 99 took place. Meanwhile, the biggest MMA organization on the planet also visited Germany in 2018 and only less than 8,000 spectators came to Hamburg to watch the event.
Oktagon has already sold out over 80% of the tickets to the Lanxess Arena, which means one thing. The UFC’s record will be broken. With ease. And there are still a few days left before the event, so it’s not out of the question that it will sell out completely.
OKTAGON 49 will be the biggest MMA event in the history of the German scene.
Source: Oktagon MMA, UFC
