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OKTAGON MMA launch €1 million Tipsport Gamechanger welterweight tournament
The biggest project in OKTAGON MMA history has been revealed and it is an absolute Gamechanger!
Earlier today in Ostrava, Czech Republic, the Tipsport Gamechanger welterweight tournament was officially announced which will showcase the deepest division in the organisation. A total of 16 athletes will participate in the bracket that sees all the best fighters at 170lbs in OKTAGON MMA compete alongside other top welterweights from around the world for a share of €1 million – tournament prize money that has never been seen before in European MMA.
The following OKTAGON MMA stars are already confirmed for the tournament:WW champion, David Kozma (30-11)MW champion, Patrik Kincl (26-10, 1NC)Apollo Silva (26-10-1, 1NC)Christian Eckerlin (15-5, 1NC)Bojan Veličković (21-12-2)Máté Kertész (13-5, 1NC)Christian Jungwirth (12-6)
Fighters from the organisation as well as the best, unsigned global talent can apply to fill the remaining nine places in the bracket. OKTAGON MMA wants to hear from the biggest free agents if they think they can compete with some of Europe’s finest. Eight of these additional participants will be decided by the promotion but the final sixteenth competitor will be chosen through a fan vote. During the tournament, the OKTAGON MMA welterweight belt will not be on the line.
Tipsport Gamechanger will take place over five different events in total next year. The whole opening round will kick off during one show in early 2023 and then the quarter finals will be staged across two events – one in the Czech Republic and the other in Germany. The remaining four athletes will compete in the semi-finals during a later show and then the blockbuster finale will go down towards the end of the calendar.
The matchups in the opening round will be decided by OKTAGON MMA and then those fighters who advance will be placed from 1 to 8 according to the organisation’s rankings. The athletes themselves will then pick who they wish to face in the quarter finals so the competitors will play a part in selecting their route through the tournament.
A unique aspect of the project is the concept of ‘lucky losers’. After the end of the first round, fans will vote to decide who becomes the 1st and 2nd ‘lucky losers’ and these fighters will then be placed in reserve bouts against two athletes selected by OKTAGON MMA. This principal will be repeated throughout the tournament after each round. If a replacement fighter is needed due to an injury at any stage, fans will also vote for which winner from that round’s reserve bouts should step up into the tournament. As a result of this, once someone is eliminated, they may get a second chance to progress through the field. There has never been a tournament in MMA where the fans have as much control as they do in Tipsport Gamechanger.
Tipsport Gamechanger participants are competing for a total of €1 million, which will be distributed as follows:
Losers in the opening round – €15,000 (total €120,000)
Losers in the quarter finals – €40,000 (total €160,000)
Losers in the semi-finals – €80,000 (total €160,000)
Loser in the final – €130,000
Winner of the tournament – €300,000
An overall total of €870,000.
Loser in the reserve fight opening round – €4,000
Winner in the reserve fight opening round – €6,000
Losers in the quarter final reserve fights – €8,000 (total €16,000)
Winners in the quarter final reserve fights – €11,000 (total €22,000)
Losers in the semi-final reserve fights – €11,000 (total €22,000)
Winners in the semi-final reserve fights – €14,000 (total €28,000)
Loser in the final reserve fight – €14,000
Winner in the final reserve fight – €18,000
An overall total of €130,000.
