OKTAGON MMA’S Armand Herczeg: We’re eight lads sitting around playing Mario Kart waiting to bash each other’s heads in

In a show where Big Brother meets MMA, OKTAGON MMA now airs the OKTAGON Challenge on Channel 4.

In a show which pits one of the oldest rivalries against each other in England vs Ireland- Oktagon MMA has pit four MMA Up and comers from each nation  to fight against each other in a bid for one to gain a professional contract.

Team Ireland star Armand Herczeg – Who is mentored by UFC vet Paddy Holohan has given his thoughts on his experience so far on the show.

• We’re eight lads sitting around playing Mario Kart waiting to bash each other’s heads in!
• The OKTAGON challenge is way more original than the Ultimate Fighter 
• Some people don’t like the way we present ourselves but we don’t care – the Irish have the craic and the banter!

THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER MEETS BIG BROTHER – WELCOME TO OKTAGON CHALLENGE AIRING NOW ON CHANNEL 4

England and Ireland’s hottest MMA prospects battle it out for a professional contract while sharing a Big Brother-style house and competing in out-of-cage challenges.

OKTAGON MMA has created a never-seen-before mixed martial arts reality TV show, which will result in one hot prospect emerging with a professional contract.

But first, the eight men – four from England and four from Ireland – must learn to live together and face each other in out-of-cage challenges, before settling their differences each week in the Octagon. 

Team Ireland fighter Armand Herczeg, who is fresh off a victory in episode two airing now, said: 

“We were sitting around playing Mario Kart with Team England, but it was odd because we’d also wanted to punch their faces in. It was hard to get used to at first, having eight fellas living in one house, there’s a lot of testerone going around and you could literally smell it in the air. 

“We have to sit in the house and look at these boys and be like “I’m actually fighting one of these lads so I’m not going to try and be too nice to them”.

“There were also times where we’d all sit down and talk about our families and everything, and then I’d be sitting there thinking “I could end up fighting them so I need to at least stop giving them so much information”.  

Ireland’s Herczeg, who has hopes of claiming a professional contract with OKTAGON MMA, says the OKTAGON Challenge has a unique appeal over competing MMA shows. 

“The Ultimate Fighter has really taken the reality side out of the show. It helps the fighters grow their image, but they’ve made it very commercialised and not as fun to watch anymore as the older seasons were.

“I think you get more originality out of OKTAGON Challenge, more heated, in the moment scenes. When [competing fighters] like Dennis and Hassan were going at it with each other, that’s not scripted, that’s all real, whereas I feel like Ultimate Fighter has gotten to the point where people are going in there and focusing just on the fights. Instead, we had fun with it, we forgot the cameras were there.”

“It was very enjoyable living in the house with the boys. It was a great craic. You can see from the episodes that us Irish lads, we have that banter, we’re there to do pranks and we’re there to annoy the English lads.

“I’ve seen some comments after episode two on Youtube – some people aren’t happy with how we’re presenting ourselves. But at the end of the day this is the way Irish people are. We have the banter, and we have the craic and we won’t pretend to be anyone else. 

Another unique aspect to the show are the out-of-cage challenges. In episode two, England and Ireland competed in a spray painting competition. Team England, who emerged victorious, were then treated to flying lessons, leaving a bitter taste in Team Ireland’s mouths, Herczeg said: 

“When we heard they [Team England] were flying in planes, it annoyed us even more, so it kind of pushed the team to do better on the challenges because we didn’t want them getting any more rewards.

“When we heard about the reward we were more fiery again, and I think it gives the viewers a bit of fun out of it – It’s not just about us training and fighting. The reward systems and the challenges will appeal to viewers who are maybe new to MMA. It won’t just be watching the lads train and getting ready and to fight. You’re getting a bit of fun out of it as well with the challenges and rewards.”

OKTAGON Challenge: England vs Ireland episodes 1 and 2 are now available now on Channel 4 streaming service and Channel 4 YouTube channel in the UK & Ireland.