Irish light heavyweight Will Fleury is experiencing arguably the most successful run of his MMA career to date, and he plans on parlaying that form into something more than just a world title.
Fleury challenges reigning light heavyweight champion Karlos Vemola for the OKTAGON MMA 205-pound title at OKTAGON 65 on Sunday, December 29. The event strapline shouts, “Biggest Night Ever,” as the Czech-Slovak promotion looks to close out their biggest-ever year with a huge event at Prague’s O2 Arena.
Vemola and Fleury will face off in the co-main event for the light heavyweight crown, and while the big Irishman is laser-focused on capturing championship gold, his “why” involves more than just champion status, as he explained his desire to not just capture the title, but also to bring an OKTAGON MMA event to Ireland.
“Look, I would love to bring a show back to the 3Arena. That’s kind of been one of my goals with Oktagon so far,” he said.
“Doing a big show in Ireland would be incredible – that’s a long-term goal of mine. And in the meantime, look, Oktagon MMA has some incredible stadiums in Germany. But, from an emotional point of view for me, I have fought in the 3Arena before, and I would love to do it one more time … that would be a beautiful swansong for my career. Something I focus on a lot is, how am I going to make that happen? How am I going to make that real?
“So, making that a reality is a big part of (it). There’s a lot of reasons why I want to smash a lot of guys, and that’s one of the reasons I really want to go out there and be as dominant as I want to be.”
The matchup itself will see an in-form Fleury go up against Vemola, who has been arguably Oktagon’s biggest star for the past few years. The Czech powerhouse, who fought in the UFC earlier in his career and trains at the revered London Shootfighters gym in England, is on the verge of retirement, but signed on the dotted line to put his 205-pound title on the line against arguably the most dangerous challenger he’s faced in the promotion.
“He’s obviously used to talking a bit of s**t. Whatever. But it doesn’t feel like the real belief is there,” Fleury said of Vemola.
“When I looked into his eyes those few times, I just felt like, man, your energy isn’t here.
“He’s definitely a tough fighter and if you’re not on your game, he’s definitely got the ability to do you. He’s way more experienced than I am in terms of big arena shows and fights.
“This is his whole f*****g legacy, but deep down I was just like, ‘S**t, man. I want this so much more than you. And I know you can feel that, too.'”
OKTAGON 65 takes place Sunday, December 29 at The O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic. The event streams live in the UK on DAZN.
