Will Fleury is heading into enemy territory again, and this time he is bringing two belts and a chip on his shoulder to Berlin.
OKTAGON MMA is set to land in the German capital for the first time with OKTAGON 90 at Uber Arena on Saturday, June 20, a milestone show for the Czech‑Slovak promotion that has grown into one of Europe’s leading MMA brands. The card is expected to be one of the most stacked line‑ups the organisation has brought to Germany, and it will be headlined by double champion Will Fleury defending his heavyweight title against local contender Kasim Aras.
Will Fleury defends heavyweight title against Kasim Aras at OKTAGON 90 in Berlin
Fleury, who also holds the light heavyweight strap, comes into Berlin off the kind of win that changes a career overnight. In December he flattened former UFC heavyweight Martin Buday in under two minutes to retain his belt, a first‑round knockout that had Irish outlets and European MMA media pushing him as one of OKTAGON’s standout champions.
Off the back of that performance he received offers from promotions around the world, but chose to re‑sign with OKTAGON on a new six‑fight deal, committing his prime to the organisation and talking publicly about wanting to build a long‑term legacy rather than chase a one‑off payday. Berlin is the first step on that new contract, and it comes on enemy soil against a man who has been calling his name.
Aras arrives as one of the few heavyweights who openly campaigned for a shot at Fleury. The German is a former LFL champion and Bellator veteran, with a record listed at 11‑5, and built his OKTAGON résumé quickly with a statement debut in Hamburg at OKTAGON 73, where he stopped Adam Pałasz on a main card that helped his profile jump with the German audience.
He followed that up with a win over Simon Biyong at OKTAGON 78 in Cologne, then used his mic time to call for the champion directly, a move that matched how OKTAGON often rewards fighters who are willing to sell a fight in their home market. For Aras, OKTAGON 90 is the biggest opportunity of his career and a chance to become the face of the promotion in Germany if he can unseat the visiting champion.
The promotion is backing the event with strong German representation throughout the card. Rising bantamweight prospect Alina Dalaslan, an undefeated 25‑year‑old from Germany with a 4‑0 professional record and recent knockouts over Karolina Sobek and Kamila Simkova, is slated for Berlin after a breakout win at OKTAGON 83.
Former featherweight title challenger Niko Samsonidse, who fought for the vacant belt against Mago Machaev at OKTAGON 83, is also targeted for the show as he looks to rebuild following that first‑round knockout loss. In addition, matchups like Attila Korkmaz vs Dawid Śmiełowski and Niklas Stolze vs Tyrone Pfeifer are expected to add local interest and give the German audience a mix of established names and fighters still climbing the European rankings.
For Fleury, Berlin is about walking into someone else’s backyard and keeping hold of his gold; for Aras, it is a hometown shot at flipping the heavyweight hierarchy in one night. Either way, OKTAGON’s first trip to the German capital has the ingredients of a key moment in the promotion’s push to make Berlin a regular stop on its European schedule.