Will Fleury will make the primary protection of his Oktagon heavyweight title in opposition to Martin Buday, the previous UFC heavyweight. This bout is rumored to be going down on October 4, 2025, on the Tipos Area in Bratislava, Slovakia, because the headlining bout of Oktagon 77.
Will Fleury vs. Martin Buday
Fleury claimed the vacant heavyweight championship by unanimous resolution over Lazar Todev on March 8, 2025, at Oktagon 68 in Stuttgart, Germany, incomes scores of 49–46, 48–47 and 48–47 after 5 rounds. The 36-year-old Irishman entered the promotion with an undefeated 4–0 document in Oktagon, having beforehand received the sunshine heavyweight title by unanimous resolution over Karlos Vémola on December 29, 2024, and recorded knockout and submission victories over Pavol Langer and Daniel Skvor earlier in 2024.
Martin Buday returns to Oktagon after a 7–1 run in the UFC that included wins over former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski and Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Marcus Buchecha. The Slovak fighter first captured the Oktagon heavyweight belt by defeating Kamil Minda on June 19, 2021, however vacated the title upon signing with the UFC on October 12, 2021.
Regardless of a three-fight win streak relationship again to June 2024, Buday’s UFC contract was not renewed, a choice he confirmed on social media shortly after his victory in Abu Dhabi.
Buday signed a multi-fight contract with Oktagon during the promotion’s August 9, 2025, event, resuming competition in the organization where he first rose to prominence. His return units up a rematch of types in opposition to Oktagon’s present champion, providing Buday an opportunity to reclaim a belt he as soon as held and to show his standing after an sudden departure from the UFC.
Negotiations to book Fleury vs. Buday progressed quickly as soon as Buday’s signing was introduced, with each camps emphasizing the benefit of matching two fighters who’ve every held the identical title underneath completely different circumstances. Fleury’s workforce highlighted that his mixture of wrestling and placing posed a singular problem, whereas Buday’s representatives famous his expertise in world-class promotions. Promoters framed the battle as a story of two champions at pivotal moments: one defending a newly earned crown, the opposite searching for redemption in acquainted territory.
Oktagon officers anticipate sturdy ticket gross sales and pay-per-view subscriptions, pointing to Buday’s native fan base in Slovakia and Fleury’s rising profile in Europe. The Tipos Area has hosted main Oktagon occasions earlier than and is predicted to generate a notable environment for the primary heavyweight title protection of Fleury’s reign.
