Oktagon MMA fighter Veronika Smolkova is preparing for her next bout with a potential title opportunity on the horizon….
Oktagon MMA fighter Veronika Smolkova is preparing for her next bout with a potential title opportunity on the horizon. The Slovakian athlete has made a name for herself with her aggressive striking and finishing ability, and a victory in her upcoming fight could put her in line for a championship shot.
Veronika Smolkova
Speaking ahead of her fight, Smolkova expressed confidence in her preparation and reaffirmed her goal of securing a title. “I win this fight, and the belt is next,” she said. “I will do everything in my power to get it and defend it.”
“My dream is to do what I love, inspire others, and, along the way, maintain my joy, my happiness, and, most importantly, my health. I also see myself with titles—that’s a given.”
In addition to her fighting career, Veronika Smolkova has also gained attention outside the cage for her nude modeling. While some fighters prefer to keep their public image strictly focused on competition, Smolkova embraces both sides of her persona. She explained:
“After all, even though I’m a fighter, I’m also still a girl—a woman—and I like to show off those girly things. Even though it’s not too much, I still like to feel sexy and that kind of stuff, even alongside the sport … I am feminine, and I’m very sensitive. When I go to training, I have that sensitivity and those emotions—anger and other emotions you could call “bad” emotions, but also the ones that make you like an animal. I leave all of that at the gym and get it all out there. Then, after training, I can embrace my other emotions—my more feminine and sensitive side.”
Veronika Smolkova’s openness about balancing athletics and femininity has echoed with fans, particularly as more female fighters challenge traditional expectations in combat sports. At Oktagon 67, on February 22, she will be facing the top-ranked Aitana Álvarez.
“The message I’d like to send is to love yourself and not be afraid to be yourself. Even show off those quirks and unique things about you. Just express yourself in the most loving way toward yourself, and I feel absolutely honored to be able to show that to the younger generation of fighters—especially female fighters coming up.”
With a crucial fight ahead and a growing profile beyond MMA, Veronika Smolkova remains focused on both her professional goals and personal expression. If she secures a victory, a title fight could be next, another step in her rising career.
The MMA world has been buzzing after a fiery sparring session between rising lightweight Denis Frimpong and UFC star…
The MMA world has been buzzing after a fiery sparring session between rising lightweight Denis Frimpong and UFC star Paddy Pimblett. The unsanctioned showdown took place at Frimpong’s Manchester gym and stemmed from a social media feud but ended with both fighters shaking hands. Now, Frimpong has opened up about the encounter, shedding light on the events that led to it and his perspective on the outcome.
Denis Frimpong vs. Paddy Pimblett Sparring
Speaking to us in an exclusive interview, Frimpong explained that he was initially unaware of any animosity between himself and Paddy Pimblett. “I actually thought we were cool, to be honest. I never thought we had any beef,” he said. Frimpong attributed the tension to comments he made during a filming of Oktagon Challenge, which involved another fighter, George Staines. “Paddy obviously took some issue to that… I suppose he’s like the big brother of their gym. And even though me and George don’t have any issues anymore… Paddy obviously had some issue with that.”
The situation escalated when Pimblett challenged Frimpong to a sparring match, promising to “come up to your gym and batter you.” Frimpong responded with a video that gained traction online, setting the stage for their face-off.
Despite the heated buildup, Frimpong emphasized that the session was conducted in a controlled atmosphere with mutual respect. “We organized it, got into a controlled environment, had our fair play… Had a knock, you know, and then shook hands afterward,” he said. “And I think that’s how, as men, that’s how our problems should be sorted out.”
The sparring session itself was intense, with Paddy Pimblett ultimately securing a rear-naked choke that forced Denis Frimpong to tap out multiple times before the hold was released. However, Frimpong believes the experience was invaluable for his development as a fighter. “I think I won that whole situation because… I got to test out my level against someone of that caliber,” he said. “I got to see where the holes are… and everyone’s talking about it now, so everyone’s going to have eyes on my next fight.” Which is booked for Oktagon 68.
Did Paddy Hold The Choke Too Long?
Denis Frimpong also addressed the controversy surrounding Paddy Pimblett’s refusal to immediately release the chokehold. According to him, the terms of the sparring session were clear from the outset: “It was agreed upon in text before the fight actually started… We go until someone quits, basically.”
While acknowledging the risks involved, Frimpong said he was prepared for such intensity. “In my head, I knew that if he got a choke on, he was going to try and choke me unconscious… As far as going to sleep from a choke, I’m not arsed about it.” Despite the physical toll of the sparring match and its heated moments, Frimpong remains positive about the experience and its impact on his career. “Yeah, [Pimblett] won the actual spar,” he admitted. “But I got to get in there and have a hard spar… with a top 15 guy in my weight division in the UFC.”
For Denis Frimpong, this opportunity tested his skills and raised his profile ahead of his next fight. As for his relationship with Paddy Pimblett moving forward? The Irish fighter seems content with how things ended: “We each had our people there… Had a knock… shook hands afterward, and that’s it.” Whether this marks the end of their rivalry or just another chapter remains to be seen, but one thing is clear, Denis Frimpong is ready for whatever comes next.
Just this past week, Leah Gotti took out Amber Fields, defeating her opponent in an impressive TKO victory. However,…
Just this past week, Leah Gotti took out Amber Fields, defeating her opponent in an impressive TKO victory. However, one thing that shocked the model and influencer Gotti was how weak her opponent hit.
Leah Gotti vs. Amber Fields
In Misfits Boxing, performer Leah Gotti was booked to take on model Amber Fields in a boxing match with 16 oz gloves. Gotti does not do anything halfway. She committed herself to boxing and trained with serious intent. She moved her life to Colorado to have a dedicated training camp in preparation for this fight.
Additionally, Leah Gotti is no stranger to hard work in athletics. In college, she received a scholarship in wrestling. Plus, she was competitive in both softball and football. In addition to her boxing fight, she is currently preparing for a half marathon.
Leah Gotti was disappointed when she stepped in the ring against Amber Fields as she was ready for war. Speaking with LowKickMMA’s Tim Wheaton on MMA After Dark, Leah Gotti explained:
“I trained so hard. I took this seriously for it to turn out to be the worst sparring match I’ve ever had. I was sparring with girls who are actual fighters, so they weren’t treating me like a princess. They’re f*ing me up. They were really giving it to me—bloody noses, black eyes, and punches that had me falling to the ground, feeling like I was dying, especially in the stomach. They weren’t just shoulder-checking me or light sparring; they were really going at it.”
Leah Gotti
Then, when she faced Amber Fields:
“When she hit me in the first round, I was like, ‘Is this for real right now? Is she joking?’ She hit me so lightly that I don’t even have to block this. I could just throw punches wildly if I wanted to because this isn’t going to hurt me; this isn’t going to cause any real damage.’”
“When I finished the fight, I wasn’t even really sweating it. I was like, ‘Damn, this just feels like I trained so hard.’ That’s what it felt like.”
Leah Gotti was victorious with a TKO in her Misfits Boxing debut. Now, she is speaking with various organizations to book her next fight which could be in boxing or MMA. See the full interview below:
Just this past week, Leah Gotti took out Amber Fields, defeating her opponent in an impressive TKO victory. However,…
Just this past week, Leah Gotti took out Amber Fields, defeating her opponent in an impressive TKO victory. However, one thing that shocked the model and influencer Gotti was how weak her opponent hit.
Leah Gotti vs. Amber Fields
In Misfits Boxing, performer Leah Gotti was booked to take on model Amber Fields in a boxing match with 16 oz gloves. Gotti does not do anything halfway. She committed herself to boxing and trained with serious intent. She moved her life to Colorado to have a dedicated training camp in preparation for this fight.
Additionally, Leah Gotti is no stranger to hard work in athletics. In college, she received a scholarship in wrestling. Plus, she was competitive in both softball and football. In addition to her boxing fight, she is currently preparing for a half marathon.
Leah Gotti was disappointed when she stepped in the ring against Amber Fields as she was ready for war. Speaking with LowKickMMA’s Tim Wheaton on MMA After Dark, Leah Gotti explained:
“I trained so hard. I took this seriously for it to turn out to be the worst sparring match I’ve ever had. I was sparring with girls who are actual fighters, so they weren’t treating me like a princess. They’re f*ing me up. They were really giving it to me—bloody noses, black eyes, and punches that had me falling to the ground, feeling like I was dying, especially in the stomach. They weren’t just shoulder-checking me or light sparring; they were really going at it.”
Leah Gotti
Then, when she faced Amber Fields:
“When she hit me in the first round, I was like, ‘Is this for real right now? Is she joking?’ She hit me so lightly that I don’t even have to block this. I could just throw punches wildly if I wanted to because this isn’t going to hurt me; this isn’t going to cause any real damage.’”
“When I finished the fight, I wasn’t even really sweating it. I was like, ‘Damn, this just feels like I trained so hard.’ That’s what it felt like.”
Leah Gotti was victorious with a TKO in her Misfits Boxing debut. Now, she is speaking with various organizations to book her next fight which could be in boxing or MMA. See the full interview below:
Chingiz Allazov is a decorated fighter in ONE Championship who holds the Featherweight Kickboxing World Title, but he is…
Chingiz Allazov is a decorated fighter in ONE Championship who holds the Featherweight Kickboxing World Title, but he is looking to leave it behind. After capturing gold in K-1 and ONE, ‘Chinga’ Allazov holds the top rank as the best pound-for-pound kickboxer on earth, but wants to step away from ONE.
Chingiz Allazov
Allazov has taken the kickboxing world by storm. The aggressive kickboxer has highly impressive wins against the likes of K-1 MAX Champion Yasuhiro Kido, GLORY Champion Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong, the top-ranked Jo Nattawut, all-time great Superbon Singha Mawynn, and K-1 and GLORY titleholder Marat Grigorian. With these notable victories, Chingiz Allazov is ranked among all-time greats and is the top pound-for-pound kickboxer right now.
In an IG live interview, Marat Grigorian recently said that Allazov has vacated his kickboxing world title in ONE and is stepping away from the organization. In a conversation with Chingiz Allazov, we can update his side of the story.
Chingiz Allazov Leaving ONE
Speaking to the world champion Chingiz Allazov, he explained:
“Yes, it’s true. Before the fight between Marat Grigorian and Superbon, I told ONE Championship that I would leave my belt for this fight, but they said no … They offered me the fight with Superbon before Marat Grigorian, and I said, ‘If I fight Marat, I will finish my career.’”
Over five rounds, Allazov defended his title against Grigorian in 2023. Grigorian then defeated Sitthichai before losing to Superbon for the interim title. ‘Chinga’ was hoping that the Superbon vs. Grigorian fight would be for the undisputed championship.
Allazov continued, after his win over Grigorian he wanted either the Muay Thai Champion Tawanchai in kickboxing or a rematch to avenge a prior loss to Giorgio Petrosyan. He added:
“After that, I asked for a fight with Tawanchai, or even Giorgio Petrosyan again. But Petrosyan is done fighting in ONE Championship, and Tawanchai doesn’t seem interested in a kickboxing match with me. But now, I have a different plan. My own plan for my life and future, not the same plan as ONE Championship.”
Chingiz Allazov continued:
“But this news is true … I’m done fighting in ONE Championship, and I said I would leave my belt for Marat and Superbon to fight for. Before, Superbon won the interim title fight, but after this fight, they offered me another contract. However, I told them no, I’m finishing my career. I have different plans for my life. Maybe in the future, Inshallah, I’ll return to fight other fighters, but for now, I train every day, focus on my life, and focus on my family. Inshallah, always.”
Despite leaving the organization and leaving his illustrious title behind, he has nothing to say but good things about them. Allazov said:
“I wish all the best to all the fighters in ONE Championship, and I want to thank ONE Championship. I have a lot of respect for the whole ONE Championship team and Chatri.”
Chingiz Allazov has had public issues with ONE in the past. It’s not clear what’s next for either party. ONE has not yet officially removed the title from Allazov. ‘Chinga’ may move into fighting with K-1 or somewhere in central Asia. He said he is not yet done with kickboxing as a whole and he will continue to fight.
Shannon Knapp provides optimistic outlook for Invicta FC’s future.
For months, there was fair reason to be concerned about Invicta FC’s future. The women’s MMA promotion, which had long been known for giving major stars in the sport a platform on their way up to the UFC, went more than half a year without announcing an event.
Many started to worry if the decade-long fixture on the U.S. regional scene had met its demise. However, the public recently learned that the idea of the promotion folding was far from the truth. The months of radio silence wasn’t Invicta FC slowly fading away, but instead their quiet behind-the-scenes pursuit of making a strong return. Work from recent weeks by the promotion will all come to a culmination very soon when they host an event in Kansas City.
The absence of Invicta FC will come to an end this Friday when the promotion kicks off a five-event tour which will take place in the second half of 2024. The series of events comes along with a new distribution deal, airing events live on American TV channel CBS Sports Network.
“It’s always hard when you know you’re working on something but you can’t say anything,” said Shannon Knapp, the President of Invicta FC. “You see the speculation, you know. Everybody wants to know what’s going on. So when you can make that announcement and let the world know what you’ve been working on, it’s a very exciting moment.”
Invicta FC Returning Amid A Women’s Sports ‘Evolution’
The deal is Invicta FC’s first major partnership since being acquired by Anthem Sports & Entertainment in 2021. It guarantees five events this year, with Knapp mentioning the possibility of further shows on the channel in 2025. After years on UFC’s online subscription service Fight Pass, the promotion briefly was hosted on Anthem-owned channel AXS TV. Knapp said that they were always in pursuit of a new media deal and that they are satisfied with the one which kicks off this week.
“I think it’s great for CBS Sports,” Knapp said. “They embrace more women’s sports, and I think it’s great for Invicta. We have the opportunity to possibly connect with maybe a potential fan base that didn’t have that opportunity before.”
Invicta FC’s return comes amid a big moment for women’s sports. The rise of popularity for college and pro-level women’s basketball—coined by some as “The Caitlin Clark Effect” due to a highly successful popular Iowa-born player leading the charge—has put women’s athletics under a big spotlight. Other rising leagues, like the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), have also received a rise in popularity as of late. Knapp sees the importance of making sure every sport is involved in the current rise of women’s sports, including MMA.
“I think it’s very exciting to see the evolution that’s happening right now for women’s sports,” she said. “But I think that everybody’s part of that movement. If you’re an all-female [league] you’re part of that movement. I think it’s really important that we embrace that, and we help lift it up, not only for Invicta or for combat sports, but for all sports.”
Talita Bernardo, Kay Hansen Among Spotlighted Talents
Friday’s card will include a mix of returning Invicta FC names, plus a wave of new talent who debut with a fair amount of buzz. The main event will see bantamweight champ Talita Bernardo hunt for her fourth consecutive win in the promotion, taking on rising ex-Bellator fighter Olga Rubin.
After having an unsuccessful UFC run that came to an end in 2022, Bernardo has found a second wind in her career through Invicta FC. After scoring back-to-back submission wins in 2022, she went five rounds against Taneisha Tennant to take a decision victory and capture the division’s 135-pound belt.
Earlier in the night, Kay Hansen will come back to Invicta for the first time since her two-year UFC run. At just 24 years old, Hansen will be looking to reboot her career by performing in the promotion that previously got her to a big stage in the sport.
“Having Kay [Hansen] back is amazing,” Knapp explained. “You know, this is where it all began for her, she was very young. If memory serves me right, I think she was like 18 when she came in, or somewhere in that vicinity. She was very young.”
Atomweight Division Continues To Receive Attention
Earlier in the night, an atomweight (105-pound) fight will see Japanese prospect Saori Oshima take on Andressa Romero. Oshima has put together a stellar record in Japan’s regional scene and has won four fights in notable promotion RIZIN.
Among the top MMA promotions (UFC, PFL & Bellator), none currently host fights at the atomweight limit. Knapp explained the importance of putting a spotlight on these divisions at Invicta, even if they aren’t exactly stepping-stone bouts to get into bigger promotions.
“It’s important that we embrace all the divisions,” she said. “Currently. we have five divisions. Could we expand on that at some point in time? There is a good potential. But yeah, I think it’s hugely important. I especially the lower weights for women. You find a lot of women that compete in those weight classes.”
Back up and running, Invicta FC is optimistic about what lies ahead. After months where fans might have felt worried about the promotion’s future, Knapp wants the public to know that they are working hard to provide the best product possible.
“We’re moving, and we’re super excited about the opportunity that’s in front of us,” she said. “I think that what fans can expect right now is I’m gonna do my best. My team’s gonna do their best to put on world-class matchups, entertaining matchups and to really fine-tune everything and give them the best that we can give them.”
The MMA world has been buzzing after a fiery sparring session between rising lightweight Denis Frimpong and UFC star…
Just this past week, Leah Gotti took out Amber Fields, defeating her opponent in an impressive TKO victory. However,…
Chingiz Allazov is a decorated fighter in ONE Championship who holds the Featherweight Kickboxing World Title, but he is…
Shannon Knapp provides optimistic outlook for Invicta FC’s future.
