Oktagon Challenges Dana White’s Stadium Myth and Highlights MMA’s Potential

Dana White, UFC president, has long dismissed stadium shows, saying he prefers arenas for their atmosphere. He claimed in April 2025 that fans can’t create enough noise in open-air venues. Yet Oktagon, a European MMA promotion mainly active in Germany, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, has disproved this notion twice in just three years.

In October 2024, Oktagon set a record for attendance at an MMA event outside early-2000s Pride shows in Japan, attracting nearly 60,000 spectators to Deutsche Bank Park, home of Eintracht Frankfurt football club. They returned two years later with Oktagon 94, aiming to either surpass that attendance or deliver an even bigger spectacle.

Big Stage, Bigger Ambitions

Co-founder Pavol Neruda chose to prioritize the event's visual impact over breaking the attendance record. The highlight was a grand entrance stage that anchored a halftime show featuring hit-maker Robin Schulz. Instead of distracting from the fights, the performance became a crowd favorite.

Some fans took the halftime break as an opportunity to leave seats temporarily, leading to more empty spots than during the rest of the seven-hour card. Still, from the second preliminary fight onward, the stadium was nearly full. Early excitement stemmed from Michael Obodozie’s swift knockout in just over a minute, possibly drawing latecomers in.

A Different Kind of MMA Fandom

This level of fan engagement is rare in the UFC or top boxing matches. Germany's growing passion for MMA has fueled Oktagon's rise in just a decade. Neruda told The Independent, "The demand is growing here in Germany. That’s what we want to use."

The fights delivered intensity with seven finishes out of ten bouts, six occurring in the first round. The noise from the crowd proved loud despite White’s skepticism, especially for local fighters like Max Coga, who won a thrilling co-main event, and Christian Eckerlin, who lost by submission just seconds before the end of the main event’s first round.

Challenges Amid the Action

The night wasn’t without issues. A power outage during a featherweight prelim match between Deniz Ilbay and Hugo Vach plunged the cage into darkness for two minutes. The crowd responded with loud whistles, and staff scrambled anxiously until power was restored.

Apparently, Oktagon had warned Deutsche Bank Park organizers about potential electrical problems, but necessary fixes were not completed beforehand. After power resumed, underdog Ilbay knocked Vach out with a powerful right hand, marking a dramatic "lights out" moment twice in a row.

Ilbay credited unusual training methods from his father—like sparring with a cover over his head—for his focus during the blackout. Vach acknowledged the interruption affected his momentum but refused to offer excuses.

More Than Just Fighting

Oktagon’s event took place amid political tensions in Frankfurt, with left-wing protests clashing with gains by the far-right AfD party. Despite the unrest, the event united 58,000 fans around their shared love for MMA. Neruda, avoiding political commentary, praised the sport’s power to connect people and break down barriers.

UFC Misses Out on Atmosphere

While the UFC’s recent White House event drew presidential attention, it lacked the vibrant atmosphere Oktagon generated. This irony stands out since White’s aversion to stadiums is based on atmosphere concerns.

Oktagon plans to make these stadium events annual affairs, unlike the one-off UFC Freedom 250. Neruda declared, "We want to say to Europe and even to the world that we are here. We are doing something special, and it’s worth the watch." Their success shows stadium MMA can thrive beyond the UFC’s closed-door preference.