Ivan Buchinger turned back the clock at OKTAGON 72, showing he’s still a real threat in today’s lightweight scene. The veteran used every bit of his experience against dangerous finisher Vladimir Lengal, locking up a slick rear-naked choke in round two — his 45th pro win.
That makes two in a row for “Buki” and four wins in his last five, all against legit competition. In OKTAGON MMA, he’s gone toe-to-toe with names like Hafeni Nafuka, Lom-Ali Eskiev, Ronald Paradeiser, and Losene Keita — and he’s still beating guys in their prime.
Now sitting at #3 in the OKTAGON lightweight rankings, Buchinger could be next in line for a marquee matchup. A clash with Max Coga or Agy Sardari would make sense, especially with Buchinger’s 85% finish rate and a run of momentum behind him. He’s not in there to collect paychecks — he’s still chasing that OKTAGON gold.
Fans still remember the 2012 Cage Warriors fight where Conor McGregor stopped him, but Buchinger didn’t fade like many from that era. He went on to hold titles in Cage Warriors, M-1 Global, XFN, and OKTAGON — and in 2025, he’s still out here choking prospects and climbing rankings.
Legacy? Already secure. But if “Buki” grabs another OKTAGON belt, we might have to start talking about him as one of the greatest to ever come out of European MMA.
