Former KSW middleweight champion Michal Materla has signed for OKTAGON, with the promotion announcing his arrival during the live broadcast of OKTAGON 79 at the weekend.
Materla’s arrival comes hot on the heels of the promotion’s announcement that they will be breaking new ground in Poland in 2026. That news was bolstered with a subsequent confirmation that OKTAGON 86 will take place at Szczecin’s Netto Arena on April 11, with Materla set to feature.
What were Michał Materla’s first words after signing with OKTAGON to kickstart our expansion into Poland❓
Listen to the European MMA legend now👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/chk8q8wZU0
— OKTAGON (@OktagonOfficial) November 3, 2025
Materla (33-11) became a bona fide star in Poland through his exploits for Polish MMA promotion KSW, where he became their middleweight champion. He first won the belt back in May 2021 and went on to defend the title four times before eventually losing to Mamed Khalidov in November 2015.
Materla would go on to compete twice more for the promotion’s 185-pound title, losing out to Scott Askham and Pawel Pawlak, and also added the EFM middleweight title to a resumé that includes 26 finishes from 33 career wins.
His reputation for crowd-pleasing fights and a never-say-die fighting spirit made him a firm favourite with the Polish fight fans, and OKTAGON will hope that his legion of fans will follow him in his new chapter as he looks to help establish the Czech-Slovak promotion in Poland following their successful foray into the German market over the last three years.
“I’m pleased that I’ve found my new home, OKTAGON!” said Materla.
“I will be fighting here now. I want to stay in this promotion for as long as I can and as long as my body lets me!”
OKTAGON co-owner Ondrej Novotny was thrilled with his new signing, saying, “When we enter a new market, we need the correct athletes and Michal is a perfect fit!
“We are coming to Poland with maximum respect to the fans, sport and the country – we can’t wait to see Polish fans at our shows.
“OKTAGON does things differently than others and we think we have something completely fresh and new to bring to the table. We are seeing this as a huge opportunity for us!”
