Live with PLUS subscription! – Fragments fly into the cage: UFC pioneer gives tips!

He competed ten times and Bogdan Grad delighted the enthusiastic crowd again and again with spectacular punches and kicks. The Cage Fight Series and the brand new UFC pioneer from Styria have a special relationship. Not only because event organizers Gerhard and Michael Ettl have also been his trainers, mentors and supporters for many years. But because his striking performances at Schwarzlsee also worked their way into the minds of those responsible for the UFC around competition boss Dana White.

“Being able to fight in the Cage Fight Series was one of the most important things for my career,” Grad emphasizes. “You need big events to showcase yourself, otherwise no one will be interested in you. The UFC obviously looks specifically at people who participate in their events.”

Of course, CFS is not “your” event. But thanks to a deal brokered by the Ettl brothers, the main fights have been taking place on UFC Fightpass, the in-house streaming platform, for years. The world organization managed to convince itself of Grad’s capabilities before inviting the featherweight to the Contender Series in Las Vegas. After failing in a higher weight class in 2023, he made it to the MMA Olympics this year with a split decision victory over Texan Mike Aswell. For the thoroughbred athlete, this was the realization of a long-cherished dream – and yet only an intermediate step…

UFC debut scheduled for spring
Now the 29-year-old is looking to move up the ranks and make an impact at UFC events against the best in the world. His contract guarantees him three fights, the first of which will take place next spring. In the own Champions Gym in Graz, training continues according to “slightly adjusted” training plans (“you now have to work even more strategically”). But the training wheel doesn’t need to be reinvented. “Bogdi” has always worked hard, even in his spare time he couldn’t do without sports, hitting and games of skill: cycling, table tennis, darts, it’s all there!

His doctors have also been able to control minor injuries in recent weeks, such as a severe inflammation of the bursa in the elbow after the Aswell fight. Grad currently feels “top fit” and remains focused.

Which of course his colleagues also hear. Grad’s training and sparring partners on site are Daniel Schordje and Anas Hamdaoui. This time the latter will fight one of his last amateur fights at CFS 16, but already with professional gloves and without shin guards. Meanwhile, ‘super talent’ (quote from Gerhard Ettl) Sebastian Tomaschitz takes on the ‘brutally strong’ Aslan Bagaev, while Bernadette Marsano and Kathy Rychkova bring local female power to the Octagon.

Grad would like to keep his fingers crossed for his colleagues in the event arena at the Schwarzlsee, encourage them, give them tips – and encourage them: “You can achieve anything, even reach the UFC like I did, as long as you have hard work and perseverance!”

Thursday 7:00 PM: Live roads for all users
We are curious whether the young wild animals will make the same effort as an older one. After all, veteran Harry Fischer cannot do anything about it: the 53(!) year old wants to sweeten the autumn of his career and celebrate his third victory in a row against the half-old Bosnian Dragoljub Stanojevic.

As usual, KronePLUS subscribers (secure your offer here) can watch all the preliminary fights of the fight night live! It starts at 5:30 PM, and shortly before that the stream for the show will be activated on krone.at. On Thursday, all ‘Krone’ users can watch the weighing and comparison of the opponents on krone.at in the livestream from 7 p.m.