Alexander Poppeck

Poppeck, giving up 47.5 pounds on short notice, spent the opening minutes on the outside picking at low kicks. Then Leka crashed a body kick home to the liver and Poppeck crumpled, the home heavyweight taking it at 2:22 of the first.

Key moments

• Poppeck worked the perimeter with low kicks early.
• Leka landed a thunderous kick to the body.
• Poppeck crumpled and it was waved off at 2:22 of round one.

Poppeck fought to keep the bout standing and attacked Narkun's lead leg with low kicks. Narkun edged a very close opening round with takedown attempts, Poppeck took the second, and a third-round knockdown decided a fight that was level going into it. All three judges scored it 29-28 for Poppeck.

Key moments

• Poppeck's game plan was to keep the fight standing and work low kicks; Narkun repeatedly tried to drag him to the canvas.
• Narkun took a very close first round on the strength of those takedown attempts.
• Poppeck claimed the second round, sending the fight into the third with the score level.
• In the final round Poppeck landed a clean knockdown; Narkun survived the follow-up shots but lost 29-28 across all three cards.

Headlining in his home city of Munich, Poppeck avenged the split-decision loss that had cost him the interim light heavyweight title two years earlier. He pressured Langer from the opening bell and needed only 75 seconds to land the finishing right hook. Oktagon awarded him Performance of the Night.

Key moments

• A rematch of the OKTAGON 44 interim title fight, which Langer had won by split decision in June 2023.
• Poppeck opened with significant strikes immediately and kept the pressure on rather than letting the fight settle.
• The performance came in the main event on home soil in Munich and earned Performance of the Night.

Poppeck challenged for the interim Oktagon light heavyweight title at OKTAGON 44 and lost a five-round split decision to Pavol Langer. He avenged it in Munich in May 2025, knocking Langer out with a right hook inside 75 seconds.

Key moments

• The bout was for the interim Oktagon light heavyweight title and went the full five rounds.
• Langer took it on a split decision.
• Poppeck knocked Langer out in their May 2025 rematch and earned Performance of the Night.

Poppeck stopped Nermin Hajdarpasic with punches 1:53 into the opening round at OKTAGON 36.

Key moments

• Poppeck finished Hajdarpasic with punches at 1:53 of round one.
• The bout was contracted at heavyweight.
• It is his only heavyweight appearance before the UFC Belgrade booking.

Poppeck's first look from the UFC came on the Contender Series in July 2019, and it did not go his way: Jamahal Hill stopped him with punches and elbows at 4:29 of the second round. Three fighters were awarded contracts that night and Poppeck was not one of them; the call would not come for another seven years.

Key moments

• Hill stopped Poppeck with punches and elbows at 4:29 of round two.
• It was Poppeck's first and, until Belgrade, only appearance in front of UFC matchmakers.
• He was not among the three fighters awarded contracts on the night.