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.
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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.”
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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.
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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
Erling Haaland is set to make his acting debut later this year
Danny Jones
Manchester City star Erling Haaland is set to make his debut film appearance later this year in his first proper voice acting job as part of an animated movie.
Let’s just say our obsessive countdown until the release date starts NOW.
The Premier League player and sporting superstar has obviously featured on camera plenty since bursting onto the scene – not least of all for his own YouTube channel – but this will be new territory for the Norwegian.
Rather fittingly for the Scandinavian striker, he’s not only playing a Viking character in the upcoming animation, ViQueens, but he’s also basically set to play a version of himself.
Soccer Superstar Erling Haaland to Play Animated Viking in Film Debut (Exclusive) https://t.co/r6uxxOClJI
As per The Hollywood Reporter, the new film by fellow compatriot and director, Harald Zwart, who is best known for the likes of Agent Cody Banks, the 2010 Karate Kid reboot, and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.
He also directed comedian Steve Martin’s second outing as The Pink Panther, so it’s safe to say he’s got a funny bone or two.
That being said, it feels like the 25-year-old will be able to have some fun with this script, in which he is set to play a Viking of the same name – because of course he is.
While it’s still yet to be revealed as to just how big a role he will have in the feature film set to arrive this winter, what we know so far is that the film is an action-comedy adventure revolving around a “world of fearless warrior girls, icy fjords, and Silk Road mythology.”
It’s also worth noting that this isn’t even the first time we’ve seen a cartoon version of Erling Haaland brought to life, as he also popped up in the world of gaming a little while back.
The career of a top footballer really can be a crazy one, can’t it?
Speaking on the film, director and co-writer Zwart told the outlet: “As a Norwegian storyteller making a Viking adventure for a global audience, having Erling Haaland join ViQueens feels incredibly exciting.
“Erling has already become a kind of real-life Viking icon around the world – powerful, fearless, and uniquely Norwegian. Bringing him into this universe as himself gives the film an unexpected energy and authenticity that felt completely right for this story.”
Other famous faces set to star in the animation, which is set to release this December, include singer-turned-actor Rita Ora and Ella Purnell (Fallout, Arcane, Sweetpea), who are starring as the two lead characters and voice actors.
Vision to host the Olympics in the North of England takes step forward
Daisy Jackson
The government has taken a serious step forward in its vision to bring an Olympic and Paralympic Games bid to the north of England.
A strategic assessment has officially been commissioned to see if the first northern Olympics could be viable in the 2040s.
The assessment will test the impact that hosting could have on the North’s regeneration and growth.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said that our corner of the country produces some of the UK’s finest sporting talent, but that the region itself has been overlooked for hosting a global event of this size.
She said that the government is now ‘starting the firing gun on a long overdue vote of confidence in the North’.
An initial strategic assessment has been commissioned from UK Sport to see whether the UK could host an Olympic and Paralympic Games up north.
It will assess key factors such as potential cost, socioeconomic benefit and any bid’s chance of success.
Lisa Nandy said: “London 2012 showed what the Olympics can do for our country. It inspired a generation through sport, attracted huge investment and showed the best of Britain to the world.
“But while the North of England has driven so much sporting excellence, no matter the talent we produce, the sporting moments we create, and the world-class events we attract – for too long we have been told the Olympics is simply too big and too important to be hosted in the North.
“Not any more. It’s time the Olympics came North and we showed what we can offer to the world. I couldn’t be more pleased to announce that we’re starting the firing gun on a long overdue vote of confidence in the North.”
Manchester is already home to world-class cycling facility, the National Cycling Centre. Credit: Unsplash, Dylan Nolte
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “Britain’s sporting prowess is recognised and respected around the world. It’s something we are determined to capitalise on to breathe life into our communities and build a stronger and more secure economy.
“That’s why we’re throwing our full support behind bringing the Games back home which will boost our Northern Growth Corridor. It’s also why we’re backing stadium regeneration plans, like at Elland Road, to deliver new homes, business opportunities and public spaces in Leeds and beyond.”
Chair of The Great North, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “From our great cities and towns to our coastlines and countryside, the North has the venues, the passion and the sporting pride to deliver a world-class Olympic and Paralympic Games that showcases the very best of Great Britain to the world.
“A Great North Olympics would be a global showcase, leaving a legacy of prosperity, unity and renewal. It’s an opportunity not to be missed, delivering transformational investment in transport, regeneration and public spaces across the North of England.
“This could become the most people-powered Games ever hosted: inspiring millions of people into sport, volunteering and community action.”
The news comes ahead of a major sporting summer for the UK, which includes events like the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes Grands Départs.
The Government is already backing bids to host the World Athletics and Para-Athletics Championships in 2029, as well as the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup, as part of its commitment to driving a decade of change in women’s sport.
Danny Jones -
20th October 2023 
