He wants to be the formula 1 among mixed martial arts tournaments. It plans further expansion into Europe and Central Asia. “My imagination is much bigger than people think,” says promoter Ondřej Novotný.
In an interview with Aktuálně.cz, one of the two heads of the Oktagon MMA organization Ondřej Novotný explains his vision, reflects on the present and the future of combat sports and describes the specifics of the increasingly popular industry ahead of Saturday’s Oktagon 43 tournament in Prague’s O2 arena, where, among other things, the expected title fight will take place rematch between Karlos Vémola and Patrik Kincle.
You advertise Saturday’s tournament as the biggest part of the Octagon in its history. What is the specialness and how do you feel just before it starts?
I am full of expectations. About how great it will be and what we will experience. Without a doubt, it’s one of the biggest matches we’ve ever done. If we add the Tipsport Gamechanger to the Kincl vs. Vémola match, it’s absolutely the biggest, most expensive and most important tournament we’ve ever done. Even considering how many countries we broadcast it to, how many languages it will be commented on, how much further success in foreign expansion depends on it. Because one thing is that it appeals to the Czech Republic and Slovakia, another is that we have given the largest number of outputs in foreign media so far.
How many countries will you broadcast to?
I won’t even say that exactly. Via pay per view to various countries around the world, then especially via individual providers to Japan, the USA, Germany and other countries.
So it is the most expensive gala in history. In terms of fighter rewards, production, basically everything?
Yes, in all respects. On the one hand, it’s because the prices have increased, but when you ask specifically like this, it’s also from the point of view of rewards for fighters.
It is probably unnecessary to ask which athlete is the most expensive…
Karlos Vémola is the most expensive because he should be the most expensive.
We’ll get to that later. When you look at what’s coming up now and think back to December 2016 when you hosted the first tournament, could you have imagined something like this?
My imagination is much bigger than people think. I’m already much further in my imagination. I imagine something completely different than what is happening now.
What do you imagine?
We say it publicly. Our dream is to be Formula 1 on the European and let’s say Central Asian scene. We would like to have a lot of stops in a lot of countries so that people can look forward to the Oktagon circus, which will come there once or twice a year, unpack it there and make it a community event.
In interviews in the past you have often talked about performance percentages, I think a year ago you said you were at 30 percent. How old are you now?
There is no simple answer to that, we are in a different situation in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and of course in those foreign markets. In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, we are at 40 to 45 percent.
You are already active in Germany, and in November Oktagon will premiere in Great Britain, in Manchester. Tickets are on sale now, will you sell out your local arena?
Of course we believe it. You can’t afford to go into it with a different mindset at all. Otherwise, you’d be headed for trouble. You simply cannot not believe as a proper householder.
Ondřej Novotný with Patrik Kincle. | Photo: Octagon MMA
In Manchester, you are inviting reality star Jake Quickenden to a duel with comedian Paul Smith. I assume you chose the names carefully with how they resonate in the area…
Sure, one is a reality show star, has a million followers on Instagram. It is very popular in the family market there, which is important to us. We are like the Disney Channel. People still tend to perceive us as something sharp, sometimes even violent. But the reality is that we are a family channel that everyone is supposed to love and the whole family is supposed to watch like a family movie. We have been able to do that in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and we want to do exactly that in Europe as well. That’s why we need exactly such heroes. People from all walks of life like the reality show guy, so we’re making sure they watch it for him. The other is a stand up comedian who sells out arenas. He has a harsh sense of humor, but he’s a family man. Again, it’s a perfect example that someone like that is happy to connect with us and try it out.
You suggest that the sport still faces prejudice. However, is it possible to describe whether its acceptance by the wider public is changing after all? What is the position of MMA in the Czech Republic today?
It can be described, MMA competes with football and hockey. It is number three in terms of all possible indicators, number two in terms of mentions and number one in terms of clicks. The change is huge, and that’s why we’re talking to each other now, because we haven’t talked to each other before.
But what do you think is hurting MMA’s reputation? For example, you recently spoke critically about slapping, saying that Dana White, the head of the UFC organization, came up with it, so people automatically associate it with the UFC and MMA… What else can you think of?
Like when an MMA fighter does something violent. This is automatically far more visible than anyone else doing something violent. Next, there are certainly doping cases, just the slapped ones, riots in public. But all of this will always be a part of combat sports. The pressure on fighters is different than on other athletes. Different in that someone wants to try something on you, touch you, yell at you. Things get personal there real quick. It’s not like you lose in football and you have another game next week.
How great a service did the success of Jiří Procházka, the champion of the elite organization UFC, give to the Czech MMA? Is his atypical, cultured and non-confrontational speech and zero trash-talk a way to improve the image of MMA even more?
Jirka did a great job, it’s not worth talking about. He is a fantastic hero that the sport has. It is undoubtedly a path, but Jirka is unique. He is alone at the top of the mountain, and that top is one centimeter by one centimeter, so there is no room for anyone else. It is something so unique that it cannot be imitated. We need a new hero with a new uniqueness. Jirka is only one.
At the end of the year, there was a passionate discussion about the placement of Jiří Procházka in the Athlete of the Year poll. He finished tenth. What signal did that mean for you, what did you take from it?
Honestly, from my point of view, it’s almost a worthless poll. I don’t respect a lot of people who vote in that poll. I don’t give her any great prestige, it’s nothing that moves me. We are already further and elsewhere than this poll.
The main match will be a rematch between Karlos Vémola and Patrik Kincle, how do you feel about them a day or so before the duel? And what do you think will happen in the cage?
A battle of two top athletes who are both in the top 50 in the world in a weight class of over a thousand people. It’s like Manchester United playing Bayern here. I expect it to be a fantastic moment. The drama highlights the five-year build-up of the duel, the huge story that will somehow move on, be fulfilled, maybe close on Saturday. It gives me goosebumps. I feel from both fighters that they are prepared at the best possible level that they are capable of.
Ondřej Novotný. | Photo: Octagon MMA
It’s special because of the – I don’t want to use the word hate – but let’s say tension?
Certainly. That’s what I’m saying. No other sport has this, except maybe boxing. You can’t build this anywhere else. You can have a hundred-year history of the Sparta vs Slavia derby, but it’s played at least twice a year. Here it is a personal story of two people, a conflict that has different folds, and it is a magnificent drama. It is something that cannot be fabricated, invented, it has to happen as it happens.
Both fighters weighed in on the required weight on Friday morning, but once again it was preceded by a drastic drop, which will now be followed by a rapid gain. It’s a thing that people often criticize and don’t understand. They ask if it could be done differently. It didn’t work?
You’re right, it’s one of the biggest debates in MMA. Combat sports have weight classes for a reason, it has to be done somehow. This is a settled thing at this point. Of course, it is up to those people how far they are able to squeeze themselves. Sooner or later that will change. Perhaps the rule of eight or ten percent is recognized, which means that you can only have plus ten percent of the weight within the category in which you fight. If we are talking about the category up to 84 kilograms, then you could only have plus 8.4 kilograms the next day, otherwise you will lose money. But Vémola and Kincl will not weigh much more during the match, they will probably weigh around 96 kilograms.
Karlos Vémola is a personality that arouses emotions, whether for good or for bad. Can it be said that he pulls the scene to a certain extent with his originality and controversy?
Certainly, in the field of sports, Karlos is by far the biggest celebrity, whether in the positive or negative sense of the word. He is the only person here who brings that American style. All the madness that he is able to offer and undergo is unbelievable. It’s a journey that you may or may not support, but you have to admire what the kid is capable of doing for himself and for the sport.
From your point of view, what are the other attractions of Octagon 43?
Of course it’s a Tipsport Gamechanger. This is the biggest tournament ever held in Europe. But I could list the entire match card. That’s why it’s the best card we’ve ever made.
