Igor Severino stops unbeaten Max Holzer in 54 seconds, a day after the “little bitch” bite jibe

Severino keeps the OKTAGON bantamweight title and hands the 12-0 home fighter the first defeat of his career in Hannover.

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Sat 7 Nov, 23:11 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Igor Severino lands on Max Holzer against the fence as the referee comes in at OKTAGON 97 in Hannover — Photo: OKTAGON MMA

Igor Severino stopped Max Holzer by TKO 54 seconds into the first round to keep the OKTAGON bantamweight title in the OKTAGON 97 main event at the ZAG Arena in Hannover on Saturday night.

Holzer, 24, came into the fight unbeaten in 12 fights and in front of his home crowd. It is the first defeat of his career.

The finish came a day after Holzer went after Severino at Friday's pre-fight press conference. Speaking in German through the stage interpreter, Holzer said Severino "had to bite his opponent like a little bitch" in the UFC, a reference to Severino's disqualification for biting Andre Lima in his only UFC fight in March 2024.

Severino answered through the interpreter: "I did my mistakes, but I also was punished for them... and I will show him tomorrow." In OKTAGON's build-up video, shown at Friday's weigh-in, he had already told Holzer: "I'm going to kill you, I mean it."

Severino, 23, won the vacant title with a second-round TKO of Khurshed Kakhorov at OKTAGON 85 in March. His first defence, against Zhalgas Zhumagulov at OKTAGON 89 in June, ended in a no contest after an accidental punch to the groin in the second round.

Earlier on the main card, Ireland's Denis Frimpong was stopped in the first round by Ozan Aslaner.