Will Fleury Becomes Two-Division Champion at Oktagon 68, Eyes Historic Third Belt

Will Fleury etched his name in history at Oktagon 68, capturing his second divisional title with a hard-fought decision over Lazar Todev. The Irish powerhouse now holds both the light heavyweight and heavyweight belts, just 322 days after debuting in the promotion.

After departing the PFL, Fleury was uncertain about his future. Speaking at the Oktagon 68 press conference, he reflected on nearly quitting MMA while recovering from a broken hand. "Eleven months ago, I was sitting in an Airbnb in Vegas wondering if I should just walk away," Fleury admitted. "This is proof that the hard work pays off."

His fight against Todev was no easy task. Entering the fifth round ahead on the scorecards, Fleury had to endure relentless pressure as Todev surged forward in search of a finish. Despite battling illness throughout fight camp, the Irishman dug deep to secure victory and add another belt to his collection. "You cannot deny that I have the balls of an elephant," he quipped in his post-fight speech.

With talk of a potential move down to middleweight, Fleury is considering a historic run at becoming Oktagon’s first three-division champion. However, with the middleweight division currently tied up, he may first defend his light heavyweight title against the winner of Poppeck vs. Langer 2.

Meanwhile, Makhmud Muradov made a statement at Oktagon 68 with a dominant win over Yasubey Enomoto. He was immediately booked for an interim middleweight title fight against Patrik Kincl in June, with the eventual winner expected to face the Tipsport Gamechanger tournament victor in 2026.

As for Fleury, the prospect of cutting back down to 185 pounds after bulking up to heavyweight presents a serious challenge. "No more victory beers," he joked. If a fight with Muradov materializes, it could be one of the biggest European MMA showdowns in years.