After months of provocations and verbal exchanges, it's now official: Max Holzer and Deniz Ilbay will face off on April 5, 2025 at "OKTAGON 69" in Dortmund's Westfalenhalle.
The 23-year-old Holzer from Hanover is considered one of the most promising talents in the German MMA scene. With a flawless record of 10-0-0 and eight finishes, he has already made a name for himself. Most recently, he defeated Eugen Black-Dell in December 2024 by unanimous decision.
His opponent Deniz Ilbay brings professional boxing experience and has established himself with an impressive 8-1-0 record in MMA. "El Pistolero" is known for his striking power – all four of his OKTAGON victories came by TKO/KO. He also finished his last fight against Vladimir Lengal on February 1, 2025, early.
The feud between the two fighters has a history. After Holzer repeatedly taunted him, Ilbay responded in an interview: "If he wants a street fight, we can do that. I sent him my address twice. Twice nothing happened." Holzer stayed true to form after the official fight announcement: "I'm going to smash his face!"
In addition to this highly anticipated main event, the bout between Uwe "Flying Uwe" Schüder and Ediz Tasci will also be on the fight card. OKTAGON MMA has high hopes for the event, which has the potential to become one of the biggest in the organization's history.
