Zhalgas Zhumagulov will close out the year with a big defense of his 125 pound crown that Oktagon MMA has just recently announced. The first ever Kazakhstan fighter to hold gold in Oktagon MMA title will defend his belt soon enough as Zhalgas Zhumagulov will clash with another ex-UFC vet in David Dvořák. This transpires at Oktagon 81 which emanates from O2 Arena in Prague on Sunday, December 28th.
Zhumagulov previously held a Fight Nights Global belt and that piece on his resume helped him secure a punched ticket to the UFC cage circa 2020. During his UFC tenure, Zhumagulov competed with globally praised names like Manel Kape, Amir Albazi, and Joshua Van. The first foray into the Oktagon cage for Zhumagulov came in November 2024, where he put on a thorough performance. The clear victory over Aaron Aby, which came via unanimous decision, and followed that up with an Oktagon MMA championship win which happened just a few months prior against Beno Adamia.
Zhalgas Zhumagulov vs. David Dvořák Oktagon 81 title bout overview
Conversely for Dvořák, he initially fought in Oktagon in 2019, halting Arsen Taigibov with a second round submission. After that, Dvořák would ply his trade in the UFC. After putting together a .500 record there across six contests, the man known as 'Undertaker' has since came back to the Oktagon MMA cage. In September, the 33 year-old stopped Mohammed Walid with an emphatic first round knockout and is now en route to a shot at championship glory. The Czech combatant aims to ascend to the 125 pound throne on December 28th and enter 2026 with all the momentum one can have as an Oktagon MMA flyweight.
The Oktagon 81 lineup just keeps building up in a big way as Patrik Kincl vs. Robert Pukač, Kaik Brito vs. Amiran Gogoladze, and Jonas Mågård vs. Elvis Silva are also booked fights that bolster the massive year-end Oktagon MMA event.
