This Saturday, February 7, SMESH MMA returns with SMESH 2 at the Kia Metropol Arena in Nuremberg. Doors open at 16:30 and the first fight is scheduled for 18:00. The card blends professional bouts with ambitious amateur matchups, so expect fast starts, high emotion, and plenty of fighters looking to make a name.

For pure heat, circle Ariyan Alipour vs Azad Karasu, better known as “Azadi.” This one is expected to be a hard-hitting battle, and the tension has already spilt over. There were minor hand shoves at the weigh-in and again during the face-off in the arena. At the press conference Alipour made it personal, dismissing Azadi as a TikToker and promising a TKO. Azadi kept it cooler, but his message was just as direct: he is coming to end it fast with a KO.

The home crowd will also have a clear storyline with Islam Khapilaev vs Nenad Avramović, a matchup that can switch from tactical to violent in seconds. Add the catchweight clash between unbeaten striker Umut Birdal and Paul Klein, plus the featherweight matchup of Maksym Bunakov vs George Udesiani, and you have multiple fights designed for pace rather than point fighting.

One of the biggest talking points is also what will not happen. Tamerlan Dulatov will not fight after three opponents pulled out, with the last cancellation coming the night before. He said he is naturally disappointed because he fought at OKTAGON just three weeks ago and feels he is in great shape.

He also said he feels for the fans who wanted to see him in action, which is why he will still be on site and available for photos, autographs, and conversations. Looking ahead, he said he plans to compete for SMESH in early May and hopes a suitable opponent can be found.

At the end of June he expects to compete again at OKTAGON. For now he says he is simply happy to be in Nuremberg and is excited to be part of the event and to watch a night of strong fights.

SMESH is leaning hard into the live experience with special guests on site as well. The guest list includes Islam Dulatov, introduced as a UFC welterweight, plus Frédéric Vosgröne, the viral “Neanderthal,” alongside Iras Khizriev and Ahmad Halimson.

Vosgröne also shared a quick shoulder update: it is not decided yet whether he will need surgery. He will get it examined again and make a decision soon. If surgery is required, he expects to be out for about two to three months, but he still expects to be back in the cage around the middle of the year and is already looking forward to it.

If you love MMA in its rawest form, where rivalries are close enough to touch and the crowd reacts to every shift of momentum, this is the kind of night you watch live in the building.