Krzysztof Jotko will return to the cage on October 4, 2025, at Bratislava for Oktagon 77, the place he’ll meet Hojat Khajevand in a semifinal bout of the Tipsport Gamechanger event.
Oktagon 77
The European MMA Champions League, backed by a €1 million prize pool, has superior to its last 4 following the quarterfinals held at Oktagon 74 in Prague. Jotko, a former UFC veteran with 11 wins underneath that banner, seeks to safe a spot within the Gamechanger last and transfer one step nearer to the event payout.
Oktagon 77 marks the second cease of the middleweight pyramid that started earlier this 12 months. Sixteen fighters entered the bracket; eight superior from quarterfinal matchups together with Jotko’s victory over Marek Mazúch in August. The occasion on October 4 options two Gamechanger semifinals, with Jotko taking up Khajevand in a single and the defending champion Kerim Engizek going through Dominik Humburger within the different. The winner of Jotko vs. Khajevand will compete for a six-figure purse and the event title at a later date.
Hojat Khajevand brings a professional record of eight wins and four losses into his semifinal appearance. The Iranian middleweight claimed his spot by submitting Piotr Wawrzyniak at Oktagon 74, demonstrating his ability to finish fights on the ground. Khajevand has competed in various European promotions since debuting in 2017 and holds a reputation as a durable opponent with a balanced skill set of striking and grappling.
Krzysztof Jotko
Krzysztof Jotko ’s preparation has included training where he spends most of his camp at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, working with wrestlers, jiu-jitsu specialists, and kickboxers underneath the steering of coach Artem Levin, a former high contender who twice defeated Alex Pereira. Jotko described the surroundings as “One of the best on the earth, with Olympic-level wrestlers and world-class grapplers.” Two to a few weeks earlier than struggle evening, he relocates to Germany, coaching at Planet Eater underneath Peter Sabota to regulate to time and local weather adjustments forward of his European bouts.
In an unique interview with Tim Wheaton of LowKick MMA, he defined:
“For on a regular basis I dwell in Florida. So I practice for each struggle in American Prime Workforce after which two, three weeks earlier than the struggle I come to Germany to Planet Eater to Peter Sabota health club. Yeah. After which I similar to do little drills, little sparring and lower my weight and simply acclimatize for Europe, you understand. Due to course in Florida is sizzling, six hour distinction. So I have to generally right here, you understand.
“That is the explanation this health club is one of the best on the earth. We’ve got one of the best wrestlers, one of the best jujitsu fighters, one of the best kickboxers, all people one of the best. Like one of the best kickboxer Artem Levin, he’s a coach. He was beat Alex Pereira two instances and he beat him like he was on a trip.
Early in his UFC profession, Jotko had the chance to coach with Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonald at TriStar Health club in Montreal. He remembers grappling rounds with GSP as “very good and protected,” noting that their periods helped him develop a measured method to MMA exchanges. Throughout that very same camp, he evenly labored with MacDonald, who was recovering from an ankle harm sustained in his struggle in opposition to Robbie Lawler, gaining publicity to high-level sport plans and coaching protocols.
“My second struggle within the UFC, I used to be in Montreal for eight weeks. I educated with Firas Zahabi, George St. Pierre, Rory McDonald.
“Starting of profession on UFC, so I do couple rounds, couple rounds like grappling with Georges. Georges was superb, very good and a really protected companion like even he smash you, he not going to harm you, so it’s superb coaching with him. After I was there Rory MacDonald simply completed the struggle with Robbie Lawler. He was after this struggle, so he had injured ankle and he was a bit of broken after this struggle, so we educated a bit of bit however not an excessive amount of.”
The semifinal bout in opposition to Khajevand will check Jotko’s ability to handle distance and tempo in opposition to an opponent identified for his wrestling base and submission threats. Because the Tipsport Gamechanger event strikes into its semifinal section, Jotko’s bout with Khajevand carries vital implications each for the €1 million championship and for Jotko’s personal legacy as he seeks one other title alternative inside Europe’s high promotion.
