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Raul Lemberanskij heads into OKTAGON 85 in Hamburg this weekend as one of the leaders of Germany’s new bantamweight wave, an unbeaten 23‑year‑old with a growing profile at home and across Europe. Fighting out of MMA Spirit in Frankfurt, he brings an 8–0 professional record at 135 pounds and a measured, technical style that has translated well from the German regional scene to a major European promotion.
Born 13 April 2002, Lemberanskij competes at bantamweight around 61 kg and stands about 166 cm. He grew up on the mats with a father who was a professional judo fighter, and was first taken to MMA Spirit as an overweight kid who was told to start on the stepper before he gradually joined training. That early story still shapes how he talks about the sport.
“I grew up on the mats. My father was a professional judo fighter. He went to the MMA Spirit gym in Frankfurt and took me with him because I was a fat kid. He said, ‘Go on the stepper and lose some weight.’ After some time I took his place.”
He turned professional in 2022 after a short amateur run and began stacking wins across promotions like EMC Talents, We Love MMA and NFC. Early victories included submissions over Fatih Keyfli and Habibullah Noori via rear‑naked choke and decisions over Nikodem Miastkowski and Khasan Mirkhojaev, establishing him as a reliable three‑round fighter.
A TKO via opponent retirement against Filip Maric at NFC 16 and further decision wins over Ahmad Abbas and Stephan Gueida underlined his consistency on the German circuit, before a move into OKTAGON in 2025 and a debut in Frankfurt against veteran Jose Zarauz.
Raul Lemberanskij At Oktagon 85
Now he prepares for his biggest spotlight so far: a clash of undefeated Germans against Ali Gündüz (6–0) on the main card of OKTAGON 85 on March 7, 2026. The bout sits on the same event as the bantamweight title fight, which he views as a chance to win, cool down, then watch from cageside to see who might be next.
“The preparation was good and I’m excited to fight next week. I can’t wait anymore. I’m hyped.”
In that same conversation he framed OKTAGON 85 as both a personal milestone and a chance to measure himself against the division’s summit.
“I’m happy that I’m fighting on this card, because then I can directly see what is next for me. I’m excited to see who is winning the fight and who I maybe fight next.”
Lemberanskij credits long‑time Bellator contender Daniel Weichel, another MMA Spirit mainstay, as his first big inspiration, remembering how he used to wake up early to watch Weichel’s US fights and now has him in his corner for camps. He also sees himself as part of a new era for German MMA, comparing the current landscape with the days when the sport barely registered in the country.
“MMA in Germany has grown a lot. Before it was not like this and now everybody watches MMA. When I go outside, people come to me and talk to me about MMA. Five, seven years ago it was not like this. We are in the right time right now.”
That sense of timing feeds into his own ambition. He talks about his career in simple, direct terms: a childhood promise he is now trying to cash in on under the lights.
“I always said I wanted to be a professional MMA fighter. Now is the time where I can prove it and show the people around me, and show the world what we can do when we think big.”
