Will Fleury Pertahankan Gelar Juara Oktagon di Berlin

Petarung mixed martial arts asal Irlandia, Will Fleury, dijadwalkan mempertahankan gelar juara kelas berat dan berat ringan miliknya dalam ajang Oktagon 90 di Berlin pada 20 Juni 2026 mendatang.

Dilansir dari Flashscore, pemegang peringkat pertama pound-for-pound di organisasi Oktagon tersebut bakal menghadapi tantangan dari perwakilan tuan rumah Jerman yang belum terkalahkan, Kasim Aras.

Sebelumnya, Fleury berhasil merebut sabuk juara setelah menumbangkan mantan petarung UFC asal Slovakia, Martin Buday, lewat kemenangan TKO dalam waktu 1 menit 33 detik pada ronde pertama di O2 Arena, Praha, Desember lalu.

"I know I was the underdog, but I believed I could finish Martin. I know what I’m capable of as a fighter, and I’ve watched a lot of his fights. So I wasn’t surprised." kata Fleury, mengenang kemenangan atas Buday.

Fleury mengaku puas dengan penampilannya yang dominan, meski pertarungan tersebut berjalan jauh lebih cepat dari dugaan awalnya.

"I was pleased with how it turned out, but I’ll admit, I didn’t expect the fight to end so quickly or to land so many shots. But then I wanted to make the most of it, and I’m happy with my performance," ujar Fleury.

Menjelang duel utama di Berlin melawan Kasim Aras yang terkenal dengan gaya bertarung agresif dan gulat yang kuat, Fleury menegaskan tidak meremehkan sang lawan.

"As for Aras, I think he’s a bit underrated. He’s been performing well in Oktagon and deserves the title shot more than anyone. I’m looking forward to it. Berlin is a great city." ucap Fleury.

Fleury menambahkan bahwa rekor tidak terkalahkan milik Aras menjadi motivasi tambahan baginya untuk memberikan performa terbaik demi membuktikan kapasitasnya.

"I study my opponents a lot. Not so much the stats, more their fights, but yes, the chance to end someone’s unbeaten streak is extra motivation. But mainly, it’s about me, not him – about putting in a performance worthy of myself and showing I’m clearly the best guy in Oktagon," tutur Fleury.

Demi mematangkan persiapan, petarung kelahiran Cahir tersebut telah menjalani pemusatan latihan di Las Vegas bersama juara kelas menengah UFC Sean Strickland dan Johnny Walker, serta berlatih di Manchester bersama Ateba Gautier dan Abraham Bably.

"Preparation is going well. I was at a camp in Las Vegas and trained with Sean Strickland (current UFC middleweight champion) and Johnny Walker." kata Fleury.

Petarung Irlandia ini juga merasa gembira dengan seluruh rangkaian latihan yang telah dilewatinya di beberapa lokasi tersebut.

"Also in Manchester with names like Ateba Gautier and Abraham Bably. I’m happy with how it went. I’m looking forward to the fight." ujar Fleury.

Meskipun Oktagon terus berekspansi ke berbagai negara Eropa, Fleury mengakui bahwa ibu kota Ceko, Praha, tetap menjadi lokasi bertarung favoritnya sejauh ini.

"So far, my most special moments have been in Prague – the fight with Karlos (Vemola), the incredible atmosphere in the O2 arena, and the fight with Buday was also very special. So if I had to choose, my favourite city to fight in is Prague," aku Fleury.

Terkait ambisi mencetak sejarah dengan meraih sabuk juara ketiga di kelas yang berbeda, Fleury memilih untuk fokus membersihkan seluruh penantang di dua divisinya saat ini terlebih dahulu.

"If the opportunity comes up, I’d like to go for a third title. But first, I want to 'clean out' the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions of all challengers and make sure they’re secured. Only then will I think about another belt," jawab Fleury.

Fleury juga mengungkapkan situasi kontras mengenai popularitas dirinya, di mana ia lebih sering dikenali di Eropa Tengah dibandingkan di negara asalnya sendiri, Irlandia, karena keterbatasan platform penyiaran MMA di sana.

"People in Ireland still don’t really recognise me. I’d really like MMA to be shown on free-to-air TV one day, because we don’t really have a platform, and a lot of Irish fans don’t even know about it." keluh Fleury.

Fleury menilai masyarakat Irlandia sebenarnya akan sangat antusias apabila olahraga ini mendapatkan sorotan yang layak di televisi nasional.

"MMA is in a strange situation in Ireland. I feel like if people saw what I do – because I think I’m doing something special – they’d be really excited." tambah Fleury.

Fleury menegaskan kembali bahwa pengakuan atas prestasi bertarungnya justru lebih banyak ia dapatkan ketika berada di luar negeri.

"But it just hasn’t caught on at home yet. I get recognized more in Prague or most other cities in Central Europe where I spend time," ungkap Fleury.

Selain fokus pada pertarungannya sendiri, Fleury juga memberikan dukungan kepada pasangannya, Lucie Pudilova, petarung asal Ceko yang dijadwalkan melakoni laga perebutan gelar juara kelas bantam putri melawan Lucia Szabova pada Agustus mendatang.

"I’m really excited for that fight, because she’s wanted this opportunity for a long time, and I’m just glad" kata Fleury menutup wawancara.