OKTAGON Rankings Stable After Oktagon 89: Severino vs. Zhumagulov

Oktagon 89: Severino vs. Zhumagulov took place on June 6 at the Tipos Arena in Bratislava, Slovakia. The card was built around a marquee main event — bantamweight champion Igor Severino defending against flyweight champion Zhalgas Zhumagulov, who moved up in search of a second title and the status of OKTAGON's first double champion. The result was a No Contest, and Tuesday's rankings update reflects that: no positions changed across any OKTAGON division.

Rankings Movement

There are no positional changes in OKTAGON's rankings following Oktagon 89. Every division, every fighter, stays exactly where they entered the week.

Main Event: The Bantamweight Title Goes Unresolved

Igor Severino retains the bantamweight championship. That is true in the technical sense. What Oktagon 89 did not produce is a result — and that distinction matters.

In the second round, with Zhalgas Zhumagulov pressing forward, an accidental punch to the groin landed flush. Zhumagulov was unable to continue, and referee Vaclav Pribyl ruled it a No Contest at 2:26 of round two.

For Severino, it is a reprieve rather than a defense. His title is intact and his record shows no loss. But the questions about where he stands against the division's best remain unanswered. The bantamweight rankings — with Dastan Amangeldy at number two and Khurshed Kakhorov at three — are in a holding pattern until this rivalry is resolved.

For Zhumagulov, the outcome is frustrating in a different way. He moved up a weight class for a shot at history. The opportunity ended not on a judges' scorecard or a clean finish, but on an accidental foul in the middle rounds. His flyweight title is untouched. His pound-for-pound standing — third in OKTAGON's rankings behind Will Fleury and Lucia Szabova — is also unchanged. His path back to the bantamweight title picture is now unclear. A rematch is the logical next step, but the organization will need to decide whether Severino faces one of his ranked contenders first.

The rankings committee made no changes. A no contest awards nothing and takes nothing away. That is the correct call.

Heavyweight: Todev Tightens His Title Case

The most decisive result on the card came in the heavyweight division. Lazar Todev defeated former OKTAGON heavyweight champion Martin Buday by unanimous decision — 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 — on the main card. Todev is ranked first in heavyweight. Buday, a former OKTAGON champion with a run of wins over UFC veterans to his name, entered as the number two contender.

Todev's win was clean across all three judges. He continues to build the case that he is the logical challenger to champion Will Fleury. Fleury holds heavyweight gold and is OKTAGON's top pound-for-pound fighter. Todev has now beaten ranked opposition in consecutive outings, and his argument for a title fight is strengthening with each result.

Buday's loss is a setback. He had fought well against heavyweight competition at this level before and positioned himself near the top of the contender queue. A win in his next outing would be needed before the title picture is relevant for him again.

Neither Todev nor Buday moved in the official rankings this week, as the committee held positions across the board following the no contest main event.

What Comes Next for Bantamweight

The unfinished business from Oktagon 89 is the defining storyline leaving Bratislava. Severino versus Zhumagulov II is the obvious next move. The question is how quickly it gets scheduled. Amangeldy at number two and Kakhorov at three both have credible arguments for a title shot if the rematch is delayed. Raul Lemberanskij at number four is also in the conversation.

Zhumagulov's path is the most complicated. As flyweight champion, he is fully committed to a second division. A return to flyweight for a voluntary defense would be the cleaner move if the bantamweight rematch cannot be finalized quickly. If the rematch is booked, he remains tied to both titles simultaneously until there is a result.

Undercard Notable: Jack Grant's Twister

On the main card, Jack Grant submitted Ronald Paradeiser at welterweight with a Scottish twister — one of the rarest submissions in professional MMA — at 1:44 of the first round. Grant did not move in this week's rankings, but the finish was notable. The twister requires precise body control and timing that most fighters never develop. Grant executed it in under two minutes against a main card-level opponent.

OKTAGON 90 is scheduled for June 20. The rankings update after that card may carry more weight than usual, particularly if the bantamweight situation is resolved before then.