Frimpong and Aslaner held apart at OKTAGON 97 weigh-ins: “Your skin's gonna get sliced up”
Both made weight for Saturday's 72kg catchweight in Hannover, Frimpong at 71.9kg and Aslaner at 71.95kg, before staff stepped between them at the face-off.
Ireland's Denis Frimpong and Ozan Aslaner had to be held apart by OKTAGON staff at the OKTAGON 97 weigh-ins in Hannover on Friday, after their face-off turned into a war of words a day before they fight.
Aslaner walked over with his hand out as the two came together on stage. Words flew off-mic as they squared up: "That's my gift to you," one of them said. "You're gonna get another one tomorrow."
When the question came back, "Did I get under your skin?", the reply was: "Under my skin? You could never get under my skin. Your skin's gonna get sliced up tomorrow, mate. That's what's gonna happen."
Staff kept an arm across each man as the host wrapped it up: "We will see tomorrow, guys. That's when it will go down. The war of words stops tomorrow night."
The 72kg catchweight is on the main card of OKTAGON 97 at the ZAG Arena on Saturday.
Frimpong, 31, represents Manchester Top Team and is 8-4. He came to OKTAGON through the OKTAGON Challenge England versus Ireland series, where he was a finalist, and the announcer said at the weigh-in that he "called for this fight, he got his wish." Aslaner, 29, is from Paderborn, Germany, and is 11-6-1.
OKTAGON's event page bills them as "two fighters who have been trading heated messages for months", with Aslaner coming off wins over Tichota and Lengál.
The night is headlined by Igor Severino's bantamweight title defence against unbeaten home fighter Max Holzer, who traded threats with the champion at the same weigh-in.
Every UK fight result and what's next, every Friday. Get the free UK fight briefing
More MMA from Combat Sports UK
- Igor Severino tells Max Holzer “I'm going to kill you” before OKTAGON 97 title fight
- Ilia Topuria on Paddy Pimblett: 'I will eat him like the sausage that he is'
- Josh Hokit tells Dana White 'send anybody you want' and calls Derrick Lewis a 'Fat Cow Pig'
- Kamaru Usman calls Ciryl Gane the 'most dynamic heavyweight' and backs him to beat Josh Hokit
The UK fight briefing
The stories, results and upcoming fights worth knowing. Every Friday.