Kerim Engizek will get the chance to avenge the lone blemish of his OKTAGON run when he puts his middleweight title on the line in a rematch with Krzysztof Jotko at OKTAGON 91 on July 11 in Cologne. The championship clash headlines a return to the 18,000-plus capacity Lanxess Arena, widely billed as the largest indoor arena in Germany and already a key stop on the promotion’s German calendar.
OKTAGON 91: Middleweight king Kerim Engizek welcomes Krzysztof Jotko to hostile territory in Lanxess Arena
The first meeting between Engizek and Jotko in January at OKTAGON 82 in Düsseldorf flipped the script on the promotion’s long-running narrative around its middleweight king. Engizek arrived in the Tipsport Gamechanger final with a 24-4 record and an unbeaten stretch at middleweight that had lasted for years across Germany’s regional scene and OKTAGON, including wins over names like Dominik Humburger, Kamil Oniszczuk and former KSW champion Patrik Kincl. Jotko, who built his name over a 17-fight UFC stint before signing with OKTAGON, entered the tournament as the most experienced fighter in the field and carried the label of the “Polish veteran” with a 29-6, 1 NC record.
That night in Düsseldorf, the bout ended in a shock first-round submission when Jotko took Engizek’s back and forced the tap with a rear-naked choke, snapping the German-Turkish champion’s long winning streak in front of his home fans. The finish secured Jotko the €300,000 winner’s cheque from the Gamechanger bracket and the tournament trophy, but crucially the middleweight belt was not on the line in that tournament final. In the weeks that followed, Engizek spoke about going into the fight while coming off a serious hand injury and feeling his preparation was compromised, a theme that has framed the buildup to the rematch as a chance to show what he can do at full health.
Jotko’s road to that first win over Engizek helped cement his status as one of Europe’s most reliable middleweights. Training out of American Top Team, he moved through the “European MMA Champions League” style Gamechanger pyramid with decision victories over Ion Surdu and Marek Mazúch, then imposed his top game on Hojat Khajevand to punch his ticket to the final. Since arriving in OKTAGON last year, he has yet to taste defeat in the promotion and has leaned on his experience from facing elite names during his UFC tenure to guide him in five-round preparations.
Engizek, meanwhile, remains the official OKTAGON middleweight champion and one of the promotion’s key German stars. Representing UFD Gym in Düsseldorf, he has become known in OKTAGON for his stopping power, introducing himself to the fanbase with knockouts of Matias Juarez and Adam Horvath before grinding out longer wins as he transitioned into championship fights. At 34 years old, he carries a 24-5 record into Cologne and has spoken about using the rematch to reassert himself as the division’s main attraction now that his hand is fully healed and his camp has run without interruptions.
Promoter and co-owner Ondřej Novotný has framed OKTAGON 91 as one of the biggest rematches in the organization’s history, stressing that the matchup “makes sense from every angle” given the mix of revenge, validation and title stakes at play. Engizek gets another chance to defend his belt on home soil in Germany, while Jotko has the opportunity to leave Cologne with both the Gamechanger trophy on his resume and the undisputed OKTAGON middleweight title around his waist.