Fleury accuses Muradov of ducking rematch after Oktagon title loss in August

Will Fleury has accused Makhmud Muradov of reneging on a verbal agreement to an immediate rematch for the Oktagon light heavyweight title, and suggested the promotion itself may be shielding the champion from a return fight.

The pair met in August in a chaotic title bout that swung dramatically across two rounds. Muradov was dropped and saved by the bell at the end of the first, then came back to stop Fleury just 19 seconds into the second. The finish was contentious — Fleury has since described it as an early stoppage — but on the night he was gracious in defeat, and both fighters publicly agreed at the post-fight press conference to run it back in December.

“At the press conference, I gave him massive credit,” Fleury told MMA Fighting. “He composed himself really well between the first and second round. He landed a beautiful shot. On that night he said, ‘Look, I’ll fight anyone, anytime.’ And I said, would you do a rematch in December? And he said, ‘No problem.’ And I respected the f*ck out of him.”

Four days later, according to Fleury, the tone shifted entirely. He says Oktagon owner Ondrej Novotny called to inform him that Muradov had changed his mind on a light heavyweight rematch, and was instead proposing either a heavyweight title fight against Fleury or a move down to middleweight.

“So I was like, that’s not what he said on Saturday,” Fleury said. “He’s never fought at heavyweight. I gave him his first title shot at light heavyweight. He hasn’t even beaten any contenders, he’s never defended the belt.”

Fleury, who still holds the Oktagon heavyweight title, was pointed in his assessment of Muradov’s record, noting that the new light heavyweight champion’s only belt defence came in a disputed finish against a fighter who had been knocked down in the previous round. “You’ve had one fight, a very controversial fight where you got dropped at the end of the first round, and you came back and clipped the guy but got an early stoppage at the start of the second round.”

Fleury said he eventually offered Muradov a compromise: a rematch at light heavyweight at Oktagon 100 on 29 December in Prague, with a heavyweight title fight as the reward if Muradov wins that bout. He added that he remains uncertain whether the promotion will push for the fight to happen at all, questioning openly “if Oktagon will continue to protect him.”

Oktagon 100 is scheduled for 29 December in Prague, Czech Republic, though no official rematch has been confirmed.