Korkmaz shakes champion
German trio is eliminated from the MMA Champions League
March 2, 2024, 11:33 p.m
The MMA Champions League comes to an early end for German representatives. Two of the lightweight talents were eliminated due to controversial decisions by the judges. There is still hope for the lucky loser round.
The Champions League of mixed martial arts fighters continues without German participation. In the round of 16 of the elimination tournament organized by the Oktagon MMA organization, the judges ultimately decided the fate of the cage fighters from Germany.
In the co-main event, Berlin fighter Attila Korkmaz met the organization’s reigning lightweight champion, Ronald Paradeiser. Korkmaz, who competes for Turkey, had his moments in the first round with counter punches and leg kicks. Paradeiser looked for his reach advantage and repeatedly went on the offensive with a broken knee. However, the Slovakian’s combinations were mainly aimed at the Berliner’s cover.
In the second round, the Slovakian changed his tactics, quickly switching to a takedown and moving the fight to the ground. BJJ black belt Korkmaz was able to free himself and get back up over the cage, but a knee strike from the Slovakian caused a large cut above the 32-year-old’s eye.
The fighter from the Spitfire Gym in Berlin took more risks in the last round. While Paradeiser repeatedly sought the clinch without success, Korkmaz had the better hits with right and left hooks. The judges ultimately saw the Slovakian ahead in a split decision. This means that Paradeiser, who did not make his weight for the fight, remains in the tournament.
For Grabinski, experience is of no use
For Marcel Mohamed Grabinski from Düsseldorf, his third participation in the Gamechanger tournament ended in a bitter defeat. The 32-year-old German had to cope with a mixed first round, in which his Spanish opponent Acoidan Duque was able to exert a lot of pressure and land hits, especially at the edge of the cage.
In the second round, the German knew how to intercept the attacks, had counter-punches in his repertoire and attacked the Spaniard. The decisive round was much more open: Duque relied on takedowns and wanted to move the fight to the ground. However, that didn’t work. Both fighters had their moments in the exchange of blows, but no hit sequences that could lead to an early victory. The judges scored a split decision in favor of the Spaniard.
Nafuka pays the lesson
Bogdanovic raises his hand to the sky: The Serb is the winner in the duel with Nafuka.
(Photo: Octagon MMA)
Things also went well for the second representative from Germany. 20-year-old Hafeni Nafuka experienced a lesson against Serbian Predrag Bogdanovic. The fighter from Fight School Hannover did not find any convincing moments in the entire three rounds against the best lightweight fighter in the Balkans. Whenever the fight could have been moved to the ground, Bogdanovic knew how to defend the advances of the German talent. And when standing, the Serb was significantly more precise and decisive than the German. In the end, Bogdanaovic outboxed his opponent quite easily.
In addition to Duque and Bogdanovic, Lukasz Rajewski, Daniel Torres and Mochamed Machaev also qualified for the round of the last eight. Featherweight champion Losene Keita will be given the opportunity to enter later due to injury. The German representatives still have the chance to return to the tournament via the lucky loser round if the other fighters are injured.