OKTAGON MMA draws 58,000 fans to Frankfurt stadium event

The MMA promotion OKTAGON held its OKTAGON 94 event at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, drawing approximately 58,000 spectators. The massive turnout serves as a counterpoint to UFC CEO Dana White’s long-standing preference for enclosed arenas over open stadiums, as White has previously argued that stadiums fail to maintain the necessary atmosphere and volume for combat sports.

However, the event faced controversy following reports of a spectator performing a prohibited Nazi salute during the playing of the German national anthem. Local police have launched an investigation into the incident. OKTAGON organizers stated they are cooperating with authorities to identify the individual and intend to ban the person from future events, asserting that there is no place for extremist behavior at their promotions.

RTL, which broadcast the event to a record 922,000 viewers, noted that the specific incident was not part of their live transmission.