Luke Barnatt ends six-year retirement to fight at OKTAGON 100

Former UFC fighter Luke Barnatt is reportedly set to end a six-year retirement and compete at OKTAGON 100 on December 29 at the O2 Arena in Prague. The comeback has not been officially confirmed, and his opponent has not yet been named.

Barnatt, an Englishman nicknamed "The Bigslow," retired from fighting in 2020 and has since worked as an OKTAGON commentator. He now looks set to move from the broadcast desk back into the cage. At 38, he carries a 13-4 record and trains out of Tsunami Gym. The orthodox fighter stands six-foot-six with a 77-inch reach, a frame that has long made him one of the rangiest fighters in his weight class. He lands 4.43 significant strikes per minute at 36 percent accuracy.

OKTAGON 100 is headlined by a middleweight title fight between Krzysztof Jotko and Makhmud Muradov. Jotko, a 37-year-old Pole who trains at American Top Team, is 24-6. The southpaw lands 2.98 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy and averages 1.33 takedowns per 15 minutes.

Muradov, 36, represents Uzbekistan and trains at Ankos MMA. He is 26-8 and brings the more active wrestling game of the two, averaging 3.03 takedowns per 15 minutes. He also lands 4.21 significant strikes per minute at 43 percent accuracy.

Why it matters

• Barnatt would return after roughly six years away, a long layoff for a fighter in his late thirties.
• OKTAGON 100 is a milestone card, and a recognizable name returning from commentary adds interest to the undercard.
• The opponent remains unannounced, so the style matchup is an open question.
• The main event pits a veteran Polish striker-grappler against an Uzbek wrestler with a heavy takedown rate, with the middleweight title at stake.