OKTAGON MMA on course to break UFC’s attendance record with help of German football
Largest ever MMA event to take place at Eintracht Frankfurt’s stadium
OKTAGON MMA are on course to break the UFC’s attendance record with the help of German football. The promotion are braced for their biggest event yet when Christian Eckerlin faces Christian Jungwirth at Eintracht Frankfurt’s stadium.
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Eintracht Frankfurt’s stadium will play host to up to 60,000 MMA fans
Credit: Getty
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Christian Jungwirth, left, facing off with Christian Eckerlin
Eckerlin played against the likes of Mats Hummels and Bastian Schweinsteiger at youth football level.
But after crossing over to MMA aged 21 after hanging up his boots, he has become a local fighting legend.
Eckerlin, 37, and Jungwirth, also 37, will battle it out to determine the king of German MMA in the Bundesliga stadium.
Oktagon co-founder Pavol Neruda told SunSport: “I think we will beat this number. It would be amazing.
The arena is so huge, the atmosphere is so big, and I see this as a huge statement for the world for what we are doing.
Now I think this will be the thing that the whole world will watch.”
Oktagon’s rapid rise to fame
Oktagon, which was founded in 2019, has fast become one of the largest and most popular MMA promotions in Europe.
Neruda, 43, and business partner Ondrej Novotny, 43, once rejected a £2million offer to sell the promotion, which is now valued at £100m.
What’s the plan for Oktagon’s future?
Oktagon co-founder Pavol Neruda has revealed plans to expand the promotion further, with ambitions to make it a global brand.
Asked about the possibility of being sold, Neruda told SunSport: “External money is always a question, but luckily, we are in no rush to sell Oktagon.
If we felt that the money would boost the business and grow Oktagon, then it would make sense, but we are building the business in the way that we want.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Oktagon MMA promotion new?
A: Oktagon MMA was founded in 2019, but the event on October 12 will be its largest event to date.
Q: Why is Oktagon partnering with German football?
A: German football is extremely popular, and partnering with Eintracht Frankfurt’s stadium allows Oktagon to break the UFC’s attendance record.
Q: Who are Christian Eckerlin and Christian Jungwirth?
A: Both fighters have a strong following in Germany, with Eckerlin having played at youth level with the German national team and Jungwirth being a local favourite.