Oktagon champs Igor Severino, Zhalgas Zhumagulov battle for redemption in post-UFC life

Two Oktagon champions with contrasting UFC legacies collide this Saturday at Oktagon 89 in Bratislava, Slovakia, in a champion-versus-champion showdown that could rank among 2026's biggest non-UFC fights.

Igor Severino and Zhalgas Zhumagulov have taken dramatically different paths since departing the UFC. Severino's tenure was brief and dramatic—he was released after biting Andre Lima in his promotional debut—but he has since thrived, moving up from flyweight to win Oktagon's bantamweight belt in March with a knockout of Khurshed Kakhorov. Zhumagulov endured a longer, tougher run: seven UFC fights yielded only one win against six losses, yet he too has rebounded successfully, capturing and defending Oktagon's flyweight title twice in 2025 before moving up to bantamweight to chase double-gold status.

Both fighters enter undefeated since leaving the North American promotion and view this bout as vindication. "The more high-profile and media-friendly the matchup is, the better it is for me," Severino, 23, told MMA Fighting, suggesting a win over the well-known Zhumagulov would elevate him further. Zhumagulov, 37, framed his move to 135 pounds as "history for my country" and emphasized feeling stronger and healthier at the new weight after years of grueling cuts at flyweight.

Severino dismissed concerns about Zhumagulov's recent confidence, noting the Kazakhstani fighter faced a debuting Joshua Van—not the current champion version—in his last UFC appearance and suggesting that won't matter when they meet. "When he steps in there with me, he's going to feel a different kind of pressure," Severino said. Zhumagulov, meanwhile, expressed skepticism about the competition level in either division, claiming he sees no real challengers at Oktagon beyond Severino.

Both have left the door open to returning to the UFC eventually, but for now they are focused on dominating Oktagon. Severino vowed to beat Zhumagulov and then face other top contenders, while Zhumagulov remains intent on winning as much as possible and seeking out elite-level fights wherever they emerge.