Holzer vs Lemberanskij? Max Is Open to the Fight
After his first professional loss, Max Holzer says he would fight Raul Lemberanskij.
Max Holzer is open to facing Raul Lemberanskij after suffering the first loss of his professional career. In a video statement published on November 13, the fighter from Hanover discussed his route back towards the OKTAGON title. If both men want the belt, Holzer says they should fight each other. OKTAGON has not announced the matchup.
The exchange before OKTAGON 97
Their names had already become linked after OKTAGON 94. Lemberanskij beat Roman Paulus on points in Frankfurt and looked towards the bantamweight title picture. In an episode of OKTAGON Spotlight published on October 9, he took shots at Holzer, who was preparing to challenge Igor Severino for the belt. Holzer responded with an insult of his own.
Holzer's tone has shifted since his defeat to Severino. The champion stopped him after 54 seconds on November 7. Holzer now says Lemberanskij and his teammate Fedor Durić approached him afterwards and wished him well. He describes Lemberanskij as respectful and says the fight would be a great matchup, without trying to revive a personal feud.
A meaningful bantamweight contest
The matchup makes sporting sense. OKTAGON lists Holzer at 12–1 and Lemberanskij at 10–0, with the pair ranked third and fourth at bantamweight. Lemberanskij won his most recent bout against Paulus 30–27 on all three judges' scorecards. Holzer acknowledges that he lost his last fight while Lemberanskij kept winning. Facing an unbeaten contender would give him an immediate test on the road back after his title defeat. Whether OKTAGON actually books it remains to be seen.
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Sources
- Max Holzer: Video-Statement vom 13. November 2026, besonders 7:03–8:49
- OKTAGON Deutschland: Spotlight #194 vom 9. Oktober 2026, 0:21–2:03
- OKTAGON: Max Holzer – aktuelles Fighterprofil
- OKTAGON: Raul Lemberanskij – aktuelles Fighterprofil
- OKTAGON: Rangliste im Bantamgewicht
- OKTAGON: Lemberanskij gegen Paulus – offizielle Punktrichterwertung