Title Fight Preview: Lucia Szabová vs. Lucie Pudilová
Lucia Szabová made history in April when she claimed the OKTAGON flyweight belt — becoming the first fighter in OKTAGON history to hold two titles at the same time. Now the Silent Killer returns to the division where she started, defending the bantamweight crown against Lucie Pudilová on August 1 at OKTAGON 92 in Prague.
Pudilová gets to do it in front of a home crowd. Prague is her territory, the bantamweight division is where she has competed throughout her career, and she has been here before — she challenged for this exact title last December and came up just short. Two wins since then have earned her another shot. Everything about this fight has a second-chance energy.
Tale of the Tape
| Lucia Szabová | Lucie Pudilová | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 28 | 32 |
| Height | 172 cm | 173 cm |
| Reach | — | 171 cm |
| Stance | — | Orthodox |
| Record | 20-1-0 | 17-12-0 |
| KO Rate | 25% (5 KOs) | 18% (3 KOs) |
| Sub Rate | 30% (6 subs) | 12% (2 subs) |
| Team | Hanuman Gym Bratislava | SBG Ireland |
Recent Fights — Lucia Szabová
| Opponent | Result | Method | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leidiane Fernandes | Win | TKO (R5, 2:12) | April 2026 |
| Cecilie Bolander | Win | TKO (R1, 3:11) | August 2025 |
| Kalindra Faria | Win | Submission (R1, 4:16) | February 2025 |
| Aitana Álvarez | Win | Decision | July 2024 |
Recent Fights — Lucie Pudilová
| Opponent | Result | Method | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Katharina Lehner | Win | Decision (Unanimous) | January 2026 |
| Brittney Cloudy | Win | Decision | April 2025 |
| Cecilie Bolander | Loss | Decision (Title Fight) | December 2024 |
| Cecilie Bolander | Win | Decision | September 2024 |
How Szabová Got Here
Szabová has competed entirely under the OKTAGON banner and has done nothing but win. She captures titles and then goes looking for more — that is the short version of her career at this point.
She won the bantamweight belt last August, stopping Cecilie Bolander with punches from mount in the first round of what was billed as a five-round title fight. She followed that not with a bantamweight defense but with a flyweight championship campaign — dropped to 125 pounds, hunted Fernandes through five rounds, and locked up the second title in April. Now she comes back up to 135 to defend the first one she won.
That sequence matters. Szabová has fought six times in the last two years and won them all, closing three of the last four by finish. She is active, she is confident, and she has never been stopped in a professional fight.
How Pudilová Got Here
Pudilová's path runs through the UFC twice and a painful title shot that came up empty. She had two stints in the octagon — 2017 to 2020, then 2022 to 2024 — earning two Fight of the Night bonuses and building a reputation as a durable, competitive 135-pound fighter. The UFC released her in July 2024 and she came straight back to OKTAGON.
The rebound was immediate. She beat Cecilie Bolander in September 2024, then got the title shot in December and lost a decision. Pudilová responded by winning two straight over Brittney Cloudy and Katharina Lehner and earned another shot at gold.
She trains under John Kavanagh at SBG Ireland — the gym that built Conor McGregor — and is a purple belt in BJJ. She has been finished by submission just once in her career. That grappling background means she will not be passive if the fight goes to the ground.
The Stylistic Matchup
The numbers tell most of the story. Szabová finishes — 11 of her 20 wins have come by stoppage — and her recent title fights have followed a similar script: establish control, find mount, close with ground and pound or a choke. She is not a one-dimensional striker; she attacks in combinations and looks to transition.
Pudilová wins decisions. Twelve of her 17 victories have gone the distance, and she has only been stopped once in a career that spans 29 fights. She is consistent across rounds, comfortable with pace, and can operate from all ranges. Against a fighter who needs to impose control, durability and volume are legitimate weapons.
The key variable is the grappling exchange. Szabová's path to a finish runs through the takedown; Pudilová's path to a win runs through keeping the fight standing and accumulating over three to five rounds. The striking phase will be contested — Pudilová has UFC-level hands and the reach to make the center of the cage uncomfortable.
Intangibles
Prague is home for Pudilová. OKTAGON 92 is at the Central Tennis Court Štvanice — a prominent Prague venue — and the crowd will be lopsided in her favor. Szabová has won in front of hostile audiences before, but the atmosphere will not be neutral.
Age is worth noting: Pudilová turns 33 in October. She has been fighting at a high level since 2016, survived two UFC releases, and kept rebuilding. Nothing in her recent record suggests decline — three wins in the last four, including a title fight — but at this stage of her career, title shot opportunities may not come around often.
Szabová is 28 and at the peak of her trajectory. The dual-title status means she is already thinking about legacy.
What a Win Means
For Szabová, a successful defense cements her position as the defining figure in OKTAGON women's MMA. She proves the two-title run was not a flash — she can hold both belts and defend them. She enters the conversation as the promotion's pound-for-pound benchmark. She is already ranked second on OKTAGON's P4P list; a clean bantamweight defense locks that in.
For Pudilová, this is the career-defining moment her résumé has been building toward. A title win over the dual champion, in front of a home crowd, after a prior title-fight setback — that is a story with a clean ending. A second OKTAGON run that closes with a belt would reframe how her entire career is remembered.
The Divisional Picture
OKTAGON's women's bantamweight division has been circling one question for months: who can beat Szabová? Pudilová is the ranked number-three contender, the most experienced challenger available, and the one fighter in the division with the durability and decision-winning track record to take this beyond the early rounds.
If Szabová wins, the division waits and the dual-champion narrative continues. If Pudilová wins, the 135-pound title changes hands in the Czech capital — and given Szabová's record and competitive drive, the conversation will turn immediately to a rematch.
OKTAGON 92 goes live from the Central Tennis Court Štvanice in Prague on August 1.