BUZZ Kozák hits back at Paradeiser: 'bitter' rival wrong about easier route to UFC

A dispute over which road leads to the UFC has turned personal between two Slovak welterweights. Ronald Paradeiser says fighters avoid OKTAGON because easier leagues offer a better shot at the UFC. Martin Kozák, his chosen example, says the argument comes from frustration.

Paradeiser made the claim in an interview with Šport.sk, naming RFA as one of those leagues and pointing to Kozák, who made the UFC through Dana White's Contender Series in September. Kozák won that fight by second-round TKO. Paradeiser is 23-11 and has lost three of his last five, which Fights.cz notes is a record that does little for UFC matchmakers. He has still said he wants to get there.

Kozák answered in a video on his own channel. He found it funny that Paradeiser invited him onto a podcast one day and then said he lacked OKTAGON's level the next. He said he understands why Paradeiser is "bitter" after years of unsuccessful attempts to move to the UFC. He defended RFA as a place that gives young Slovaks room to develop, and said OKTAGON "takes the leftovers that RFA didn't sign" (translated).

The argument then moved to specific names. Paradeiser had complained that Kozák never faced fighters of the calibre of Patrik Kincl or Humburger. Kozák called Kincl a quality fighter, said Humburger has heart, and added that if Paradeiser thinks Humburger belongs in the UFC, something is very wrong. Fights.cz points out that Paradeiser's top-15 comments named Fleury, Jotko and Muradov, not Kincl or Humburger.

On Paradeiser's claim that OKTAGON is harder than the UFC in some respects, Kozák cited Krzysztof Jotko, now OKTAGON champion, who arrived after his peak. He also cited Keita, who dominated in OKTAGON but lost two of three in the UFC. He found it odd that Paradeiser praises OKTAGON and then admits he would leave at the first UFC chance.

Paradeiser can answer in the cage first: he fights Tyrone Pfeifer at OKTAGON 96 on Oct 31.