Jindrich Janecka resuscitated in the cage after cardiac arrest at Oktagon Cage Game 2

Czech MMA fighter Jindrich Janecka was resuscitated inside the cage after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest at the end of the Tipsport Cage Game 2 main event, an Oktagon MMA show held on Wednesday, November 11, at the Bobyhall in Brno, Czech Republic. The 22-year-old from Liberec was knocked out by Tomas Skalicky in the closing seconds of the welterweight bout. Oktagon's chief medical officer, Norbert Bidrman, said his team performed CPR, delivered a defibrillator shock and gave oxygen, and that Janecka regained consciousness and was talking to medics before he was taken to hospital.

How it happened

Janecka vs Skalicky went all the way to the event's special closing segment, called "Finish It", a short burst in which the fighters may only exchange on the feet. According to iSport.cz and Sport.cz, Janecka first took a kick to the chest, got back up and then went down from a hard right hook. iSport.cz reported that he fell only about four seconds before the end of the fight.

Referee Josef Louc told iSport.cz he realised immediately that it was not a normal knockout. "When Jindra got up after the kick to the chest, he still looked fairly OK. Then he took another punch, fell to the ground, I saw his eyes and it was clear to me that I had to call the medics immediately," Louc said. He said he took out Janecka's mouthguard and waited for the medical team.

Oktagon staff, coaches and fighters formed a ring around the centre of the cage to shield the treatment, and the organisers cut the live broadcast, Sport.cz reported. iSport.cz said medics used chest compressions, an adrenaline injection and a portable defibrillator, and that Janecka came round after roughly five minutes.

What the Oktagon medic said

In a statement posted by Oktagon on X, Bidrman said: "We just had a very emergency situation here, where one of the fighters, specifically Jindra, went into a sudden cardiac arrest. After some cardiopulmonary resuscitation, we delivered a shock. He was given oxygen and brought back to life. He is fully oriented to place, time, and person."

Bidrman thanked the Brno ambulance service for arriving quickly and said the priority now is to find the cause. "Most likely this could have been some kind of arrhythmia caused by a blow to the chest that he received earlier," he said. Speaking to iSport.cz, he stressed that this was only speculation at this stage and that exhaustion could also have played a part. He added that Janecka was talking, smiling and even complaining to the medics about the fuss, and that no neurological damage is expected.

Reaction and what is next

Karlos Vemola, who was commentating on the event, said Janecka was stable, communicating and under observation in Brno. Oktagon champion Will Fleury and Czech fighter Patrik Kincl, who was in the cage during the rescue, both publicly thanked Bidrman's team, with Fleury writing: "Today you saved a life."

Because of the incident, Oktagon ended the night without the planned announcements, including the winning team of the second Cage Game series and any professional contract offers for the competitors. Those will now be made at Oktagon 98 in Trinec next Saturday, Sport.cz reported.

The incident has also started a debate about medical standards. MMA judge Eva Borodacova told iSport.cz that, in her view, events without at least three medics and an ambulance on site should not be allowed by law. Bidrman said smaller promoters often cut costs on medical cover and hoped the incident would lead to change.

No timeline for Janecka's recovery or any return to competition has been given.