Igor Severino and Zhalgas Zhumagulov are fighting for more than belts this weekend in Slovakia.
The champion vs. champion clash could end up being one of the best non-UFC fights of 2026, with the two looking to make history and prove that being let go by the UFC is not the end of the world.
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Severino and Zhumagulov, who headline Oktagon 89 this Saturday in Bratislava, Slovakia, had completely different journeys in the UFC. Severino’s was a short-lived one, which saw him released after he bit Andre Lima in his first UFC fight. Zhumagulov, on the other hand, fought seven times in the octagon against some of the promotion’s best, but parted ways after a disappointing 1-6 run.
Both are undefeated since leaving the North American promotion and both currently hold titles in Oktagon. Severino left the flyweight class and claimed 135-pound gold in March with a vicious knockout over Khurshed Kakhorov. Zhumagulov won and defended the flyweight belt with a pair of wins in 2025, and now goes to bantamweight to chase double gold status.
“These are the kinds of fights I’m looking for,” Severino told MMA Fighting. “The more high-profile and media-friendly the matchup is, the better it is for me. I’m also excited about the challenge of competing at the highest level. I believe a win over Zhalgas will put me in an even better position because he’s a tough guy and a well-known fighter.”
“I’m very happy to move to the second division because this is history for my country,” Zhumagulov told MMA Fighting through a translator. “It’s a new challenge for me. 126 pounds is very good for me, but it’s hard as well because weight-cutting is too much, but right now I feel very good in this division. I feel very comfortable in this weight right now because when I drop the weight to 126 it was a lot a lot of stress. Right now I feel completely better, sleep good. I never felt my body like that 10 days before fight.”
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Severino said he was “too young” when he competed as a flyweight earlier in his career and has naturally gained weight and muscle mass during his biting suspension. He proclaims bantamweight “is my division now” and vows to make that clear when he faces Zhumagulov to defend his throne.
“The fact that [Zhumagulov] is winning [after leaving the UFC] is making him very confident,” Severino said. “I think that’s the main difference. Maybe he wasn’t as confident during his UFC run. I’ve watched all of his fights, against Joshua Van and other guys, but it’s different. When he fought Joshua Van, Joshua Van was taking the fight on short notice while Zhalgas had already gone through a full training camp, so he didn’t fight the Joshua Van who’s champion today. But even if he had, it wouldn’t change anything [laughs].”
“Everyone says, ‘When the fight gets tough, he’s going to bite,’ but my last opponents know that’s not what happens. He’s very confident because of his winning streak, but when he steps in there with me, he’s going to feel a different kind of pressure. I’m prepared for everything he’s going to bring, but I think he’s probably seeing things differently. He probably thinks I’m the same flyweight who fought in the UFC, that I haven’t changed at all. And honestly, it’s good if he keeps that mindset, because once the fight starts, he’s going to get a reality check.”
Zhumagulov embraces the opportunity to win a second belt to “make history” in MMA, and doesn’t see many challenges for him in either weight class at Oktagon.
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“Everybody’s seen my level, everybody’s seen my fights in UFC as well, with Joshua Van. It was a split decision,” Zhumagulov said, citing his last UFC appearance in June 2023, when he lost to a debuting Van in Florida. “But right now I feel like I’m on the top of my game. My body is on the top, my power. I’m ready for everyone, any weight.”
Severino disagrees, citing his own brother, Matheus Severino, as the one to beat him at flyweight — he won his Oktagon debut in March to improve to 15-5 as a professional.
“I’ll beat Zhalgas and send him back down to his division,” Severino said. “And then he’ll have to deal with my brother [laughs].”
Zhumagulov doesn’t sound all that impressed.
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“At 126 [pounds] in Oktagon, I don’t see any opponents for me right now,” Zhumagulov said. “And it’s very hard for me to prepare and cut weight. I’m looking for good challenge, hard challenge and good fight. At 135 and anywhere, I don’t see anyone close to my level. It’s an interesting fight with Severino because he’s a champion, but after fight we’ll see what’s going on. But right now I don’t see any opponents in both divisions for me.”
Severino is just 23, while Zhumagulov turns 38 in August. Going back to the UFC is still an option for both athletes in the future, but Severino and Zhumagulov are currently content to make a run in Oktagon as long as there are great challenges lined up.
“Oktagon is a very good promotion,” Zhumagulov said. “I don’t see any differences between Oktagon and UFC in fight week, stuff like that, but you have to understand I’m looking for big challenges, big fights. I don’t see anyone in Oktagon right now who can [challenge] me. I don’t know what’s gonna be next but I got a fight and I need to focus for this fight first, and then we see what’s going on after.
“I want to win as much as possible in Oktagon,” Severino said. “I want to beat every name they put in front of me until the moment comes when the UFC realizes there’s no other option.”
