Scott Askham inks multi-fight deal with Oktagon MMA, set for contender clash at Oktagon 53

Former KSW middleweight champion and UFC veteran Scott Askham has become the latest English talent to sign for Oktagon MMA, with the knockout artist set to make his second appearance for the promotion in February.

Askham made his promotional debut on loan from KSW at Oktagon 48 in Manchester, where he battled to a unanimous decision victory over Germany’s Marc Doussis at the AO Arena.

The Doncaster man’s win improved his record to 20-6, and led to Askham being offered a multi-fight deal with Oktagon, and a fight with Keri Engizek at Oktagon 53 on February 10 in Oberhausen, Germany.

Askham has been one of the UK’s most exciting fighters over the past decade, thanks to his crowd-pleasing performances on the domestic and international scene.

He captured the BAMMA middleweight title with victory over Jorge Bezerra at BAMMA 13 in September 2013, then defended it over Swedish hot prospect Max Nunes at BAMMA Fight Night 1 the following June.

Those victories earned him a shot on the world stage with the UFC, where he went 2-4 with the promotion, with two first-round knockout victories giving him a pair of highlight-reel moments in the Octagon.

Victory over fellow Brit – and current Oktagon co-commentator – Luke Barnatt at ACB 70 in Sheffield followed before he signed for Polish promotion KSW, where he enjoyed the best form of his career.

First-round finishes of Michal Materla and Marcin Wojcik earned Askham a shot at the vacant middleweight title, and he took his chance in spectacular fashion with a flying-knee finish of Materla in their rematch to capture the 185-pound crown.

That win set up a catchweight superfight with KSW legend and former champion Mamed Khalidov – a fight he won by unanimous decision to underline his status as one of KSW’s biggest stars. But a pair of rematches with Khalidov in 2020 and 2023 both ended in TKO defeats, with the two bouts sandwiching a spell on the sidelines following back surgery.

Now injury-free and back in the win column, Askham will look to kick-start the latest chapter of his career under the Oktagon banner, where he’ll look to add another major European title to his resume.