Attila Vegh Storms Out of Retirement for Shot at Oktagon MMA Crown

Attila Vegh hasn’t seen the inside of a prizefighting cage in almost five years, but the former Bellator MMA light heavyweight champion makes his return Saturday at Oktagon 58. There weren’t many fights that could’ve pulled Vegh out of retirement, but the opportunity to dethrone a former foe and Oktagon light heavyweight champion Karlos Vemola was too enticing.

Vegh knocked out Vemola in the first round of his farewell fight back in 2019 and is confident he’ll do it again, but the champ has added some more tools to his belt since their last meeting.

The rematch headlines a 10-fight card, which includes the quarterfinals of the $1 million euro Tipsport Gamechanger Lightweight Tournament live at the Fortuna Arena in Prague, Czech Republic. Before Vegh challenges for gold, he sat down with Sherdog to preview the upcoming battle.

Welcome back, Attila. After nearly five years away from the cage, why did you return?
I haven't wrestled in over 4 years, but it's the same as riding a bike. Even if you haven't sat on it for several years, you're back after a few minutes and you know exactly what to do. I have been doing this sport all my life and I take the positive from the break that the body rested, regenerated and I got a great appetite for training again. I now have several new goals in the form of a title, to get in shape and feel great, and of course to fully compete at the biggest event in Czechoslovakia ever.

Vemola has stayed active since your first fight and is 9-2 since. How did you need to prepare for this fight?
I need to do absolutely everything to win. I train in two phases, in Bratislava, Sereď and Trnava, and I prepare really carefully. I'm not thinking about the result yet; it's written up there, but I'm doing everything to make the result go well for my side.

Is there like a "derby" rivalry feeling between Czech Republic and Slovakia going into the fight?
I have a feeling it definitely is. Some fans may see the match as a Czech-Slovak derby, but I personally don't see it that way at all. I personally consider myself a Czechoslovak and when I go to the Czech Republic, I feel as if I am at home in Slovakia, but for the fans this topic can certainly be.

How do you compare Bellator MMA to your new home at Oktagon MMA?
Bellator was my dream, to get there, to win the title... But now I can say with a calm heart that the Oktagon is at such a level today that it is a clear European No. 1 with a brutal level. When I compare it, I don't see much difference even in terms of organizational things. You walk in there and everything is planned, there are people for everything, and I take the Oktagon as a part of my life and perceive that I too am a solid part of Oktagon. And for this reason, Oktagon is the No. 1 in the world for me.

Your nickname is “Pumukli.” What does that mean and how did you get the nickname?
I got the name when I was a teenager. Pumukli is the name of an elf from a Hungarian fairytale. He has curly hair and one of my friends/coaches told me that I look like him.

If all goes well on Saturday what’s next for you?
We'll see after the match how it all turns out. I don't want to shout ahead that I win/lose and we'll see what the situation is. But personally, I don't have any other specific goals, I don't have anything else I want to achieve with regard to the title that Karlos is holding now and we'll see what happens. I'll leave it in the stars for now.