Severino vs. Zhumagulov at Oktagon 89 Ruled No Contest After Accidental Low Blow

Overview

• The main event at Oktagon 89 in Bratislava ended in a no contest when a left from champion Igor Severino landed low at 2:26 of round two and challenger Zhalgas Zhumagulov could not continue after using the full five-minute recovery window.
• Before the stoppage Severino controlled the opening round and had Zhumagulov on the back foot with heavy body shots and right hands, shaping perceptions of the fight despite the official no-contest ruling.
• Both men are former UFC fighters who rebuilt their careers in Oktagon: Severino is the bantamweight champion and Zhumagulov moved up from flyweight to try to become a two-division titleholder.
• Oktagon officials applied the standard five-minute low-blow recovery rule when the foul was judged accidental, preserving the bout as a no contest rather than awarding a disqualification or technical decision.
• The unresolved finish leaves immediate questions for fighters and the promotion about a rematch and matchmaking for the title, and it followed a card that included the notable heavyweight pairing Martin Buday vs. Lazar Todev.