Igor Severino stops unbeaten Max Holzer in 54 seconds to defend Oktagon's bantamweight title in Hannover

Igor Severino defended his Oktagon bantamweight championship on Nov. 7, stopping Max Holzer by TKO just 54 seconds into the first round at a sold-out ZAG Arena in Hannover, Germany, according to Oktagon's own results report. Cageside Press's full results independently confirm the method, round and time.

Holzer, a Hannover native fighting out of Fightschool Hannover, entered the bout 12-0 and was making his first appearance in a title fight. Oktagon's own pre-event coverage framed the card around his bid to become the first German to win an Oktagon title on home soil. Instead, Severino handed him his first loss in his home city.

The win is Severino's first clean title defense. He won the vacant bantamweight championship by TKO over Khurshed Kakhorov in March 2026, after two earlier scheduled title fights against Kakhorov and Jack Cartwright both fell apart because of injuries and a missed weight, according to Wikipedia's record of his Oktagon title history. His only previous defense, against Zhalgas Zhumagulov in June, ended in a no contest after an accidental groin strike, so the title technically carried over without a finish.

Severino's path to Oktagon ran through a brief, infamous UFC stint. He was disqualified in his promotional debut in March 2024 after biting opponent Andre Lima, was released by the UFC afterward, and drew a nine-month suspension and a $2,000 fine from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, per the same Wikipedia record citing the commission's ruling. He has rebuilt his career in Oktagon since signing with the European promotion.

Elsewhere on the Oktagon 97 card, Cageside Press reported nine finishes among the night's bouts, including Gjoni Palokaj's second-round triangle choke over Zafar Mohsen in the co-main event and a first-round knockout by Ozan Aslaner over Denis Frimpong.