UFC veteran Khalid Taha will face off against rising prospect Max Holzer in a featherweight battle at Oktagon 88 this May.
Promotion officials announced the news on Monday. Oktagon 88 takes place at the Zag Arena in Hannover, Germany on May 16, 2026.
The pair were originally expected to collide last September, only for Holzer to be forced to withdraw from the bout due to medical issues. The German, who will be fighting at home in Hannover, has not competed since. With an 11-0 record, Holzer has notched victories over the likes of Deniz Ilbay and Eugen Black-Dell. Nine of his 11 wins have come inside the distance, with seven submissions among them.
Taha (16-5, 1NC) went 1-4, 1NC for the UFC, with a win over Boston Salmon, and a second over Bruno Silva that was overturned when Taha failed his drug test. Formerly competing for RIZIN Fighting Federation and Brave CF prior to his UFC stint, Taha is 2-0 since joining Oktagon and is coming off a knockout win over Edgar Delgado.
Oktagon 88 on May 16, 2026 is headlined by a featherweight title fight as champ Mochamed Machaev looks to make the first defense of his belt against Gjoni Palokaj. Machaev won the Oktagon MMA featherweight championship in January when he defeated Niko Samsonidse.