Will Fleury is scheduled to defend his heavyweight title against Martin Boday at OKTAGON 81, scheduled for December 28, 2025 at the O2 Arena in Prague. The fight is Fleury’s first title defense and is significant as it pits two champions with contrasting recent experiences against each other in front of an expected crowd of 20,000.
OKTAGON 81, Heavyweight Championship Match in Prague: Will Fleury vs. Martin Budei decided
Fleury, an Irish fighter who competes for SBG Ireland, has seen rapid growth in OKTAGON MMA over the past two years. After debuting with the promotion in April 2024, Fleury quickly won the light heavyweight championship by defeating veteran Carlos Vemola in December 2024.
He didn’t stop there, winning a unanimous decision over Lazar Todev in March 2025 to win the vacant heavyweight title. Boasting an overall professional record of 15-3 with one no contest, Fleury has proven his versatility and skill with submission, knockout and decision wins.
His rise in the Octagon includes wins over Daniel Shkvor and Pavol Langer in early 2024, demonstrating his ability to finish fights convincingly across weight classes. Defending his heavyweight belt at OKTAGON 81 will be an important milestone in cementing his place at the elite level of global MMA competition.
His challenger, Slovakian heavyweight Budej, was a former OKTAGON heavyweight champion before moving to the UFC, where he had a remarkable 7-1 record. His UFC victories include victories over former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida.
Despite this success, Boday’s contract was not renewed by the UFC in mid-2025, a decision confirmed by the fighter himself. Shortly thereafter, Bouday re-signed with OKTAGON, setting the stage for his return to the organization where he first made a name for himself. His current contract with the Octagon includes this bout with Fleury, giving Boday an immediate opportunity to reclaim the title he never lost inside the cage and reaffirm his status as one of the top heavyweights in the sport.
OKTAGON 81 is expected to be a landmark event for the promotion. In addition to the heavyweight title fight, the card already includes a flyweight title fight between Zhargas Zhumagulov and David Dvorak, a grudge match between Patrick Kinkle and Roberto Pukac, and a welterweight bout between Kaiku Brito and Amiran Gogoladze. The event’s venue, Prague’s O2 Arena, is known for hosting large-scale MMA events and can accommodate sold-out crowds, creating a tense atmosphere for both fighters and fans. The promotion is expected to announce further matches on the card as the event approaches, and aims to deliver one of the strongest year-end match nights in history.
This matchup shows stylistic contrast. The combination of Fleury’s wrestling base and striking combined with Budei’s heavyweight experience competing at the highest level, including top-tier UFC opponents. Fleury’s camp emphasizes his adaptability and recent dominance at both light heavyweight and heavyweight, while Boudei’s team emphasizes his record prior to his UFC release and recent winning streak. This contest ranks as a pivotal moment for both fighters. Fleury is looking to cement his legacy with his first defense, while Boudei is looking to redeem and reaffirm his place among the elite.