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Losene Keita Reclaims Lightweight Belt with Brutal TKO in Oktagon 65 Main Event

"Black Panther" added another impressive victory to his highlight reel.

Drew Beaupre

(Oktagon MMA)

Losene Keita will have plenty to celebrate on New Year’s Eve following another incredible showing at Oktagon 65.

Keita Stops Ronald Paradeiser in Prague

Long-praised by fans as possibly the top MMA fighter in Europe, Keita claimed Oktagon’s interim lightweight belt in just his second fight with the promotion before he stopped Ivan Buchinger in the first round of their title unification bout in 2022.

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“Black Panther” dropped down to featherweight the following year and also claimed that division’s interim belt but suffered a foot injury just over a minute into a unification bout with Mate Sanikidze. After coming back from injury to claim the vacant title last December, the 27-year-old returned to lightweight for Oktagon’s 2024 Tipsport Gamechanger lightweight tournament and a shot at a €1 million prize.

Three-straight victories set Keita up for a rematch with reigning lightweight king Ronald Paradeiser in the main event of Oktagon 65, and the promotion’s final fight of 2024 saw “Black Panther” reclaim the lightweight title when he put Paradeiser on his back with some nasty elbows and finished things with ground and pound.

The 27-year-old has now won five-straight fights and captured two Oktagon titles since the injury loss to Sanikidze. He also claimed the Tipsport Gamechanger €1 million prize for winning the lightweight tournament, and ahead of the event Oktagon unveiled the fighters and matchups for next year’s middleweight tournament that will kick off at Oktagon 66 on February 1.

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The Keita vs. Paradeiser main event was one of three title fights that took place at Oktagon’s year-ending card in Prague, Czechia, and in the night’s co-headliner Will Fleury claimed the light heavyweight belt from Karlos Vémola after Cecilie Bolander took a split decision over UFC veteran Lucie Pudilová to win the vacant women’s bantamweight strap.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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