Amiran Gogoladze Gets New Opponent for OKTAGON 96 Main Event
Amiran Gogoladze will now face Jessin Ayari for the OKTAGON MMA Welterweight Championship at OKTAGON 96:
OKTAGON 96 will still be happening on Halloween from Munich on DAZN, just not with the main event that was originally advertised. Initially, OKTAGON 96 was set for Saturday evening at Munich's SAP Garden with a battle for the OKTAGON MMA Welterweight Championship between No. 1 contender Amiran Gogoladze (18-3 MMA, 4-0 OKTAGON) and No. 5 contender Felix Klinkhammer (11-0 MMA, 2-0 OKTAGON.)
Earlier Tuesday, however, the plans for the Saturday night card changed. OKTAGON MMA's English-language blow-by-blow commentator Bryan Lacey took to social media to announce an alteration to the main event of the evening for Halloween night.
"At 9:00 this morning, we got the call, the unfortunate news that Felix Klinkhammer is officially out of his main event fight, will not fight Amiran Gogoladze, will not fight for that vacant welterweight title, and will not be in Munich for our main event," Lacey began.
Amiran Gogoladze Gets New Opponent on Four Days' Notice
Despite the postponement of the Klinkhammer fight, Amiran Gogoladze will still be making the walk on All Hallow's Eve. Lacey revealed that Gogoladze has received a new adversary in the injured Klinkhammer's stead.
"Firstly, Amiran Gogoladze will still fight for that welterweight belt," he said. "The second bit of news I've got for you is Germany could still crown their first-ever male champion, because stepping in for Klinkhammer is the one and only Jessin Ayari."
Ayari (19-6 MMA, 2-0 OKTAGON), the No. 7 contender at 170 lbs, was already booked to appear on OKTAGON 96 this upcoming weekend in a nontitle fight. Prior to Tuesday's news, Ayari was to have versed No. 3 contender Ion Surdu (17-8 MMA, 5-4 OKTAGON).
The latter combatant was forced off of OKTAGON 96 ahead of the show due to an injury. With an open spot in the main event now available, Ayari was booked to fight for the vacant title.
Gogoladze Contending with Third Change in Opponent for Welterweight Title
Jessin Ayari becomes the latest man booked to fight Amiran Gogoladze for the OKTAGON MMA Welterweight Championship. When Gogoladze was first booked to fight for the title, it was to have been on Sept. 12.
That night, the No. 1 contender would have challenged then-champion Kaik Brito (20-6 MMA, 6-2 OKTAGON) for the title. On July 3, more than two months before the intended fight, it was revealed that Brito would be returning to Dana White's Contender Series for an Aug. 19 contest versus Namo Fazil, securing his UFC contract by night's end.
Once Brito vacated his title, OKTAGON announced plans for the now-postponed fight between Gogoladze and Klinkhammer. Barring any other further devlopments, Gogoladze officially has an opponent for Saturday night and the belt will be at stake in a five-round fight at five minutes per round.
