Europe’s leading MMA promotion, OKTAGON MMA, is hosting its first-ever UK show at Manchester’s AO Arena this winter and fight night is now just over a fortnight away.
Promising both professional fighters and celebrities who are set to get a taste of the action, the Arena is following up a huge night which saw the likes of Tommy Fury, Logan Paul, KSI and more fight this past weekend, with a landmark night for one of the fastest-growing sports associations in the continent.
A whole host of pro-MMA stars be getting in the Oktagon this November, including Bolton‘s very own Jack Cartwright — the former Cage Warriors bantamweight champion who just recently signed with the event — as well as previous IMMAF amateur champion, Shoaib Yousaf, who are both making their debuts.
But the fun doesn’t stop there; reality TV star Jake Quickenden and Scouse stand-up comedian Paul Smith will also be facing off in the special ‘Stage To The Cage’ event which is attracting lots of ticket sales. With more than 10 months of training put into this fight, you best believe they’re taking it seriously.
OKTAGON 48 is going to be an absolutely massive night.
With Yousaf eyeing up the featherweight crown and Cartwright out to prove he’s the “best bantamweight in Europe”, there plenty at stake on this fight card.
ADVERTISEMENT
Speaking ahead of fight night on November 4, Yousaf said: “I’ve had a few fights with some big organisations, but I think the shows that OKTAGON MMA have been doing recently just look amazing, and when my manager came with the contract it was just something I couldn’t say no to…”
“I’m from a small town not far from Manchester and I’ve got a lot of support from friends and family that have come out and supported me since I was an amateur. I haven’t had a show in the UK with my fans in Manchester for ages, so the ‘Assassin Army’ should be ready.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Meanwhile, Cartwright hailed “OKTAGON [as] the biggest upcoming promotion, maybe even in the world at the minute”, adding that “it’s selling out arenas and putting on really good shows and signing good fighters, and I’m really excited to get involved and fight on all these shows and fight their best guys.”
The 29-year-old insisted that given the fighting pedigree from his area, he’s always looked to entertain and will be “going for the stoppage or the knockout” as usual, even going so far as to call himself the best in his weight class anywhere in Europe. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
As for Smith and Quickenden, while both have dabbled in sports and fight training in the past, respectively, they’ve never taken on anything quite like this before.
ADVERTISEMENT
Dedicating the best part of a year to getting ready for this exhibition and having the whole journey documented by the event, DAZN and Channel 4 in an online YouTube series (which will be broadcasting the fight night in full), both have admitted they “would rather die than lose”.
There will also be the hotly-anticipated England vs Ireland showdown, as well as the promotion’s first-ever flyweight championship fight between Aaron Aby, one of Europe’s best flyweights, and Elias Garcia, who has never been defeated outside of the UFC. Manchester is set to see some serious talent.
With prices starting from £49 and the dearest seats going for a whopping £599 to sit right next to the Oktagon, there’s still plenty of time to have your choice of view and secure a ticket for a UK-first fight night to remember.
Featured Image — Supplied/OKTAGON MMA (via Twitter)/Shoaib Yousaf (via Instagram)
Sport
Man City hoping to snap up promising Liverpool youngster with multiple clubs monitoring
Danny Jones
Manchester City are hoping to secure the signature of a rising Liverpool star who is already looking like one to watch, but they’ll have to wrestle with a number of teams if they want to get their man.
For starters, his parent club don’t want to let him go, but they have until this summer to lock him into a new deal, with suitors ready and waiting in the wings.
The promising youth player in question is Josh Abe, who is just 15 years old but has already made a bit of sporting history on Merseyside and even in Europe.
Having already scored a hatful of goals at various levels, several Premier League outfits are now monitoring his contract situation, with Abe still yet to commit his future to Melwood and possible Liverpool first-team opportunities – and it’s not hard to see why so many want him…
The Warrington-born winger has registered eight goals and a trio of assists for the under-18s this season, including a standout performance against Derby, as well as a hat-trick against Leeds United earlier this month.
Cementing himself in the record books as their youngest ever scorer at that level, he also happened to play a key role in their 3-2 win over Oliver Reiss’ side back in October, grabbing a goal and assisting as they beat City in the division for the first time in half a dozen years.
But he’s impressed beyond just LFC ranks, too.
In addition to becoming the youngest Liverpool product to ever feature in the UEFA Youth League, he has also been called up to England’s U16s.
With early nods of recognition across the board, it’s little surprise that he’s now trained with Arne Slot’s senior squad on more than one occasion.
However, scousers are still waiting to see his full professional debut, as it looks like his employers have a fight on their hands to keep the fast-progressing young forward.
As per The Athletic‘s James Pearce, Man City look to be leading their pursuit for Josh Abe not only as a major rival club and the next nearest destination, but because of the increased wages they could theoretically offer him as an aspiring pro and potential future prospect.
On the other hand, if Liverpool do fail to tie him down, his agency, PLG – headed up by Tyler Alexander-Arnold, the brother of Trent – will be free to negotiate from June 1 onwards if he doesn’t extend his stay – it could be a three-horse race to snap him up.
Apart from City, both Chelsea and Arsenal are said to be interested in recruiting him, and with it being reported that teenaged attacker’s father is a lifelong Gunner, they could pose an added threat to the Blues sealing a transfer.
Then again, we’ve seen Chelsea continue to swallow up talent all over the country for their academy time and time again, plus they’ve been pretty lax when it comes to the salary budget for years now. All that being said, the CFG (City Football Group) could face quite a scrap should Abe decide to leave Liverpool.
Naturally, he’s already been the subject of a ‘future wonderkid’ highlights reel on YouTube; you can see some of his best moments so far down below.
Have you seen clips of him before, and/or are you buying into the hype?
Co-op Live confirmed as the host venue for the 2026 Netball Super League Grand Final
Danny Jones
Manchester’s Co-op Live has booked its latest big event as the 2026 Netball Super League (NSL) Grand Final is set to be held at the massive indoor venue.
As one of the biggest indoor entertainment venues not just in the country but all of Europe, there’ll be room for plenty of UK fans to pile into the stands.
This being not only the NSL‘s debut at the arena but the first final to ever be held in the building, it’s set to be a historic night for lots of reasons.
Announcing the huge coup – not just for the increasingly popular female-led competition, but for sports fans around Greater Manchester in general – this week, the reaction to the big date on the women’s sporting calendar has been just as big.
As mentioned in an official press release, “The selection of Co-op Live for the 2026 Soft & Gentle Grand Final builds on the arena’s rapid emergence as a global destination for sport and entertainment, following a programme of major global broadcasts across music and sport.”
The 23,500-capacity and completely indoor stadium has quickly established itself as a leading destination for live music and more since it finally opened back in May 2024.
Last year’s Super League Grand Final was held down in the capital at The O2 Arena as the fast-rising franchise London Pulse beat Loughborough Lightning 53–45 to lift the title for the first time in history.
Now, the NSL is looking to capitalise on those record-breaking crowds by bringing the action closer to another foundational home for so many competitive disciplines: Greater Manchester.
With England Netball themselves being headquarted at the England Netball is headquartered at the National Squash Centre and Regional Arena on the Etihad Campus (next door to the arena), choosing Co-op Live only felt natural this time.
Elsewhere, another big tournament is being held up in the North, too, with the Netball Super Cup set be hosted at the Utilita Arena over in Yorkshire – much to our mates at The Sheff‘s delight.
Treat a netball fan in your life ❤️
🤝 Help them start #NSL2026 in style and get them tickets to see the Netball Super Cup live.
As for Co-op Live itself, general manager Guy Dunstan commented: “We’re incredibly proud to welcome the Soft & Gentle Grand Final to Co-op Live and to make history by hosting the first sporting final at the arena.
“Co-op Live was designed to bring people together for unforgettable shared experiences, and this reflects everything [we] stand for: world-class events, inclusivity, community impact and inspiring the next generation. We can’t wait to see Manchester play host to such a landmark moment for the sport.”
As always, official Co-op members get early access through the venue’s dedicated presale window, which will open at 10am on Monday, 2 March.
Meanwhile, general admission will then be available from the same time the following Thursday (5 Mar); you can get ready to grab your tickets for the Netball Super League Grand Final in Manchester at Co-op Live right HERE.
Danny Jones -
20th October 2023 
