Following four weeks of quality fights and tensions flaring, OKTAGON Challenge returned on Tuesday for it’s fifth instalment.
Channel 4’s new reality MMA show is now a month into its run-time. Teams from England and Ireland are getting to know each other better each week, which has caused a number of fiery exchanges between fighters as frustrations rise.
Last time out, viewers were treated to the fight we’d all been waiting for: Denis Frimpong vs. Hascen Gelezi. The bout certainly failed to disappoint, with Frimpong earning a second round knockout victory via spectacular head kick.
Team England entered this episode leading 3-1 in the challenges’ standings. Here, we recap the latest release of OKTAGON Challenge.
OKTAGON Challenge #5 & Meal Rewards
Episode 5 began with Team Ireland being sat down for a five-star meal alongside presenter Bryan Lacey, as a reward for Denis Frimpong’s victory over Hascen Gelezi the previous week.
All four fighters clearly enjoyed the treat, with both Frimpong and Matthew Elliott claiming it was “possibly the nicest meal I’ve ever had.”
The fifth OKTAGON challenge then ensued in the form of a quiz show. Both teams answered quickfire questions regarding a number of topics surrounding the opposing fighters and coaches.
Fans learned a number of interesting and hilarious facts about the show’s stars. We found out Brad Pickett’s favourite thing to collect is Lego, Matthew Elliott wants to make a bear his pet simply to train with it, and Beau Gavin’s hiddent talent is accents, although the opposition weren’t too impressed with his Irish voice.
We also learnt Ireland coach Paddy Holohan was in a coma for 3 weeks as a child after being hit in the head with a brick. Pickett holds a world record for being part of the only cricket team to lose a game without the other side hitting a ball in history, and his mother made custom shoes for Elton John.
Team England would subsequently win the contest 14-10, pushing the challenges’ leaderboard to 4-1 in their favour.
Jake McHugh vs. Armand Herczeg: Round Two
Episode two opponents Jake McHugh and Armand Herczeg had seemingly ended any friction between each other, until a recent off-camera dispute resurfaced for the audience.
Herczeg had registered an incredible 34-second submission victory over the Englishman in their bout. In the latest episode, he claimed he had planned to complete some training at Next Generation MMA, a Liverpudlian gym from which McHugh fights out of.
The Scouser had found out about this, and refused to let Herczeg enter as he wasn’t comfortable with the situation. Viewers witnessed the Team Ireland man taunt McHugh about his win, stating: “You literally died. If there was no referee there you would’ve been dead.”
The conversation continued onto the gym debacle. Herczeg said: “Did you train the whole week? I heard you didn’t train with your back injury, after I snapped it in half with a kick.” McHugh replied: “So you’re a bit of a c*nt then aren’t you?”
The situation turned even uglier. Herczeg went on: “You’ve been dreaming about me. [Mimics snore noises] Oh sorry, slept myself.”
McHugh responded: “Do you want to f*cking go outside. Yeah, f’cking sound.” The undefeated amateur then turned to Lacey, saying: “I want to go upstairs and rip his spine out.”
After teammates and coaches managed to calm the situation down, Herczeg still managed a few digs. He muttered: “I don’t mind being the villain. You can paint me as the villain.”
Coach Holohan then dragged his student to one side, offering him some experienced advice. The former UFC star said: “Just try. You need to be a bit more honourable, especially when it comes to belts and mixed martial arts.
“I’m not telling you what to do, you’re a man you can do what you want. But you’re going to look back at this and maybe think ‘I was a bit of a d*ckhead there.’”
Coach vs. Coach: The Race
OKTAGON Challenge number five followed. Lacey announced that, in this segment, it was all down to the coaches. The winners would also be allowed to pick the matchups in the series’ semi-finals next week.
Team England’s Akonne Wanliss and Brad Pickett were set to take on Ireland’s Shem Rock and Paddy Holohan in a go-karting contest. The duo with the fastest lap time would then be crowned champions, adding to their team’s overall totals. In an attempt to achieve maximum team cohesion, the pairings would be driving dual-carts with one on the pedals holding a cup of water, and the other steering.
The contest included a number of comedic exchanges, and some gamemanship by Ireland’s Rock (who held his palm over the lid of his cup, as well as spitting in it to increase the volume). It was announced afterwards that Team England had recorded the fastest lap time. The two amounts of water were also ignored, as Rock was deemed to have cheated during the race.
Wanliss and Pickett were victorious. They chose George Staines and Beau Gavin as their fighters to compete in the semi-finals. Rock and Holohan picked out Armand Herczeg and Denis Frimpong for their side.
Viewers can expect to see the confirmed matchups in next week’s episode, following a cliff-hanger to finalise Tuesday’s instalment.
You can stream the full episode here.
Have you been enjoying the OKTAGON Challenge series? Will you be tuning in to next week’s episode? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured image credits to the Channel 4 Sport YouTube Channel
