Igor Severino defends OKTAGON bantamweight title vs Max Holzer at OKTAGON 97 in Hannover

Igor Severino defends the OKTAGON bantamweight championship against unbeaten hometown challenger Max Holzer in the main event of OKTAGON 97 on Saturday, November 7, at ZAG Arena in Hannover, Germany. On November 2 the promotion posted that the full 12-fight card is official, locking fight week around a title matchup that pits the 23-year-old Brazilian champion against a 12-0 German star dropping to bantamweight for the first time in OKTAGON.

Title fight in hostile territory

Severino (10-1, 1 NC) enters as reigning OKTAGON bantamweight champion and is listed fourth in the promotion's pound-for-pound rankings. According to OKTAGON's fighter profiles and event page, he won the belt by stopping Khurshed Kakhorov in March in Hamburg and later fought Zhalgas Zhumagulov to a no contest in June after an accidental low blow. His only career loss remains a UFC disqualification; he has not lost inside the OKTAGON cage.

Holzer (12-0) trains at Fightschool Hannover and is moving down from featherweight for the title shot. OKTAGON says he is 6-0 in the promotion with a long active win streak and recently stopped Khalid Taha in the first round at OKTAGON 88 in the same arena in May. The challenger's official profile lists ten stoppage wins, including seven submissions. Holzer asked for Severino after the Taha win and will try to take the belt in front of his home crowd.

Full 12-fight card locked

OKTAGON's November 2 posts and MiddleEasy's report confirm a 12-bout Hannover lineup with a main card, prelims and a free opener. Key supporting fights include:

• Gjoni Palokaj vs. Zafar Mohsen (featherweight)
• Ozan Aslaner vs. Denis Frimpong (72 kg catchweight)
• Justin Detzel vs. Kacper Frątczak (middleweight)
• Karol Ryšavý vs. Samuel Bark (featherweight)
• Daniel Makin vs. Petr Bartoněk (welterweight)

Prelims feature Haci Akseker vs. Jonatan Kujawa, Jan Holzer vs. Ján Švagerko, Islam Djabrailov vs. Kenji Bortoluzzi, Josefine Knutsson vs. Yasmin Guimarães, and Matheus Severino vs. Abdul Badakhshi. Kathrin Haberle vs. Thais Vasconcelos opens the free portion. Both title-fight brothers — Jan Holzer and Matheus Severino — are booked on the same card.

Broadcast and timing

OKTAGON lists doors at 5 p.m. and a 6 p.m. local start at ZAG Arena (noon ET / 5 p.m. GMT). The promotion points viewers to OKTAGON.tv plus regional partners RTL+, TVP Sport and DAZN, with availability varying by territory. Admission for German OKTAGON events is 18-plus.

Severino brings finish power and champion experience into an away arena; Holzer brings an unbeaten record, hometown heat and a deliberate cut to bantamweight. OKTAGON 97 is the promotion's third trip to Hannover and, with the 12-fight card now official, one of Europe's biggest MMA title nights of the month.