Michal Martinek Record: 11-5-0

OKTAGON champion and Contender Series test

Martínek's rise carried him to OKTAGON's heavyweight title, and in 2018 he picked up a decision over the experienced Kristof Nataška at Oktagon 5 before a rematch knockout of Dittrich at Oktagon 7. In 2019 he took a swing at the UFC via Dana White's Contender Series, where he ran into unbeaten Brazilian Rodrigo Nascimento. The grappler caught Martínek with a first-round arm-triangle choke – a clean submission loss that exposed the gap between his striking-first style and an elite ground specialist. He bounced back at home, defending his standing with a first-round stoppage of Viktor Pešta (a 15-5 veteran) at Oktagon 15.

The KSW years

After moving on from OKTAGON, Martínek tested himself against international heavyweights and absorbed some hard lessons – a crucifix-and-punches loss to Daniel James at ACA 114 and a first-round knockout defeat to Denis Smoldarev at ACA 132 – before landing at KSW. There he opened with a decision over Filip Stawowy at KSW 71, then dropped a decision to UFC veteran Daniel Omielańczuk at KSW 75 and a first-round knockout to Darko Stošić in a card he headlined at KSW 87. He answered with a statement, knocking out the well-traveled Prince Aounallah in the second round at KSW 93 in Paris in April 2024 to remind the division of his finishing power.

Fighting style

Martínek is a heavy-handed knockout artist: seven of his eleven wins have come by KO/TKO, the calling card of a 6'2" southpaw who looks to land power early and often. His finish rate of 73% reflects an aggressive, fan-friendly style that thrives in the heavyweight phone-booth, where one clean shot ends nights. The honest weakness is on the mat – of his five losses, three came by knockout and one by submission, a profile that shows he can be caught in firefights against fellow punchers and is vulnerable to grapplers like Nascimento who can drag him to the ground and finish him there. At his best, though, he remains one of the more dangerous European heavyweights when the fight stays standing.

Career highlights

• Former OKTAGON heavyweight champion — reigned as the top big man in one of Central Europe's leading promotions before moving to KSW.
• Knockout power — seven of eleven wins by KO/TKO for a 73% finish rate, fighting as a 6'2" southpaw heavyweight with genuine one-punch ability.
• KSW headliner in Paris — second-round knockout of veteran Prince Aounallah at KSW 93, a marquee finish on one of Europe's biggest stages.