College football can take a seat on the bench this Saturday thanks to a full day of fights throughout the world. Between the UFC and Oktagon MMA, you’ve got around 10 or so hours of competitive violence to watch. The day starts in Frankfurt, Germany.
Deutsche Bank Park, also known as Waldstadion, ordinarily the home ballpark of Bundesliga team Eintracht Frankfurt, will instead play host to MMA fights during the FIFA October international this weekend in the form of Oktagon 62: Bigger Than Ever.
58,000 people are expected to fill the soccer grounds to watch the fights this Saturday. Inside the United States and Great Britain, Oktagon 62 will be seen live at 12 noon ET/ 9 am PT (US time)/ 5 pm (London time) Saturday afternoon/ evening and will feature (absent of any postponements or cancellations), an 11-fight card.
If you’re watching on linear television inside the United Kingdom, Channel Four will carry the event live Saturday evening at 5 pm local time.
King of Germany Belt at Stake in Headliner
There are three title fights to be held during the show. Immediately following the co-main event, action shifts to welterweight for a symbolic championship in the Oktagon 62 main event of the evening.
No. 8 contender Christian Eckerlin (16-6, 1 NC MMA, 3-1, 1 NC Oktagon) battles No. 9 contender Christian Jungwirth (15-8 MMA, 7-6 Oktagon). At stake: The King of Germany Belt.
As with all title fights, the Oktagon 62 main event is an advertised maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round to close the show.
👊🏼 Combat Sports in Eintracht Frankfurt
The football stadium has hosted some iconic events.
1️⃣9️⃣6️⃣6️⃣ – Muhammad Ali
2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣0️⃣ – Wladimir Klitschko
2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣ – Eckerlin vs. JungwirthThe future is ours on Saturday at OKTAGON 62.
📺 https://t.co/TVP7NaEp1x | DAZN | RTL+ pic.twitter.com/fehnIEkrs5
— OKTAGON MMA (@OktagonOfficial) October 10, 2024
Oktagon 62 Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds
Heading into the Oktagon 62 main event on Saturday night, both contestants stand level in height at 5-foot-11. Eckerlin owns a 71-inch reach, with no such information accessible for Jungwirth at press time.
Currently, the oddsmakers have Christian Eckerlin installed as a -150 favorite on the money line, while Jungwirth counters as a +110 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend in MMA, please wager responsibly.
Eckerlin Owes it All to Discipline
Christian Eckerlin enters the Oktagon 62 main event having posted a record of 3-1 with one no-contest in his last five fights. Last time out, he scored a second-round knockout (elbows) against Miroslav Broz (17-4-1 MMA, 7-4 Oktagon) during the Oktagon 57 main event in Frankfurt on May 4.
Recently, Eckerlin was filmed for an episode of Oktagon’s Journey to the Throne series. The owner of Pure Platinum, a gentlemen’s club in Frankfurt, Eckerlin keeps a firm grip both personally and professionally.
“I started working the doors here when I was 21 as a security guard,” Eckerlin said, translated to English through onscreen subtitles. “I met my wife here, her dad was the manager. About five or six years later, I took over the establishment. It’s just like in sports. I got nothing for free. I give it my all and the rest will work out for itself.”
This is a man who’s had to work hard and earn everything to get to where he is today. Will he earn the King of Germany belt on Saturday?
Jungwirth Eager to Put on a Show in Oktagon 62 Main Event
In the other corner, Christian Jungwirth has gone 3-2 in his last five fights. Back in March of this year, he scored a unanimous decision over Robert Pukac (17-13-1 MMA, 4-8 Oktagon) during Oktagon 55. Like Eckerlin, he’s been making the rounds in the media circuit of late.
If his comments in a press conference are any indication, Saturday will be Jungwirth’s night to score an upset.
“I’m always a winner,” Jungwirth said. “I’m here to fight for the fans, for the people and show a good fight.”
The time for talk is just about over. Can Jungwirth put his words into action? Only time will tell.
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
With territorial bragging rights on the line on Saturday, expect these men to give it all on Saturday night in the Oktagon 62 main event.
Eckerlin Can Punch Away
Christian Eckerlin is an adept striker, something that showed itself in spades during his fight vs, Miroslav Broz this past spring. Throughout the second round, Eckerlin made Broz pay with a variety of shots, bloodying him in the process.
Although Broz tried to cover up, it proved fruitless, eventually wearing a crimson mask for his trouble. Late in the round, Eckerlin dropped Broz and continued the assault with some ground and pound shots, including brutal elbows, forcing the referee to intervene.
Look for Christian Eckerlin to come out swinging in the Oktagon 62 main event on Saturday. If he finds a home for the big shots, it’s a wrap.
Jungwirth’s Boxing Background Could Tell the Tale
In the other corner, Christian Jungwirth knows how to land the punches in his own right. Just look at the tape of his fight against Mateusz Strzelzcyk.
During the first round of the contest, Jungwirth moved forward with kicks to the leg before landing a high kick. While his opponent attempted a takedown later on in round one, Jungwirth reversed it into one of his own and efforted an armbar submission, jettisoning it in favor of ground and pound shots.
The onslaught was simply too much for Strzelzcyk to handle, leading to the stoppage. Christian Jungwirth needs to just land the first big punch in the Oktagon 62 main event and he’ll be golden.
Final Thoughts
While the Oktagon MMA Welterweight Championship isn’t at stake here in the Oktagon 62 main event, the stakes are still high. Any time you have bragging rights up for grabs, that’s reason enough to watch the fight.
Prediction: Christian Eckerlin by Second-Round TKO.
