Josef Hala to face Vladimir Lengal for first Oktagon Stand and Bang title

The former BKFC European middleweight champion meets Lengal over five three-minute rounds at OKTAGON's 100th event in Prague on 29 December, where the promotion will crown its first champion under the striking-focused ruleset.

Former BKFC European middleweight champion Josef Hala will fight Vladimir Lengal for OKTAGON's inaugural Stand and Bang title at the promotion's 100th event, at the O2 Arena in Prague on 29 December.

The championship bout is scheduled for five three-minute rounds. Earlier fights under the ruleset, which OKTAGON debuted this year, were contested over three three-minute rounds. Fighters wear MMA gloves and every variation of hand strike is allowed. Elbows, knees and clinching can be used if both fighters agree, while measures are in place to stop grappling from stalling a bout.

Hala went 5-0 in BKFC before joining OKTAGON earlier this year and has won both of his fights under the Stand and Bang rules. Lengal, a former Czech boxer, has won all ten of his professional MMA victories by knockout.

OKTAGON co-founders Pavol Neruda and Ondrej Novotny told MMA Junkie the format grew out of the Underground Rules fights the promotion staged during the Covid-19 pandemic, which allowed it to sign striking specialists. Those rules were then adjusted to find a middle ground between strikers and mixed martial artists.

Novotny said: “We were looking for rules which would be easier for both sides.” He added that the format was built for fighters who want to avoid the ground game, saying: “Sometimes we have fighters who want to fight without all these kinds of different BJJ, grappling and wrestling styles.”

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