# Will Fleury
Will Fleury (born 1989) is an Irish professional mixed martial artist who has held both the heavyweight and light heavyweight championships of the Czech-based promotion Oktagon MMA, and who is ranked by that promotion as its pound-for-pound best fighter. He fights out of Dublin, Ireland, and trains with SBG Ireland.[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Will-Fleury-149881) • [2](https://oktagonmma.com/en/events/124/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1989; fights out of Dublin, Ireland[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Will-Fleury-149881) |
| Team | SBG Ireland[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Will-Fleury-149881) |
| Professional record | 17 wins, 4 losses, 1 no contest; wins by 5 KO/TKO, 4 submission, and 8 decision[3](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Will%20Fleury/123601/) |
| Oktagon titles | Heavyweight and light heavyweight champion; pound-for-pound No. 1 in the promotion[2](https://oktagonmma.com/en/events/124/) |
| Notable wins | Martin Buday (TKO, Oktagon 81), Kasim Aras (KO, Oktagon 90), Lazar Todev (decision, Oktagon 68)[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Will-Fleury-149881) |
| Earlier promotions | Bellator MMA, Professional Fighters League, UAE Warriors, Brave CF, BAMMA[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Will-Fleury-Promises-to-Slay-Giant-Martin-Buday-at-Oktagon-81-199568) |
## Career
Fleury turned professional on April 2, 2016, and spent his early career on undercards and smaller European promotions, including BAMMA, Brave CF, the EFC, and Bellator, before joining the [Professional Fighters League](https://www.edgepedia.org/professional-fighters-league).[3](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Will%20Fleury/123601/) • [5](https://goodfights.app/fighters/will-fleury) In a 2018 interview with Sherdog, then 4-0, he said frequent opponent withdrawals had left him with far more training camps than professional fights, remarking that his record could "easily be 15-0" on the basis of that experience.[6](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Will-Fleury-Making-Up-For-Lost-Time-139487)
In the PFL, Fleury defeated Anthony Salamone by unanimous decision at PFL 8 in August 2022, outstriking him by a reported 8-1 margin to qualify for the 2023 PFL Europe series.[7](https://pflmma.com/index.php/news/will-fleury-impresses-and-outstrikes-anthony-salamone-by-an-81-margin-to-qualify-for-the-2023-pfl-europe-series) His April 2023 bout against Krzysztof Jotko at PFL 1, initially reported as a split-decision win, was later overturned and recorded as a no contest.[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Will-Fleury-149881)
## Oktagon MMA and two-division championship
After stints in Bellator and the PFL, Fleury joined Oktagon MMA and needed only three fights there to establish himself as a title contender.[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Will-Fleury-Promises-to-Slay-Giant-Martin-Buday-at-Oktagon-81-199568) He won the light heavyweight title and later the heavyweight title, becoming a two-division champion in the promotion.[2](https://oktagonmma.com/en/events/124/)
**Heavyweight title defenses.** Fleury defended the heavyweight crown against former UFC fighter [Martin Buday](https://www.edgepedia.org/martin-buday) in the Oktagon 81 main event on December 28, 2025, winning by first-round TKO (punches) at 1:40. Buday, a 6-foot-5, 264-pound Slovakian who had left the UFC with a 7-1 promotional record, was the larger man, and Fleury had said before the fight that "size may be a factor, but skill is the main factor."[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Will-Fleury-149881) • [4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Will-Fleury-Promises-to-Slay-Giant-Martin-Buday-at-Oktagon-81-199568) He then defended the heavyweight title against Kasim Aras at Oktagon 90 in Berlin on June 20, 2026, winning by second-round KO (punch) at 1:29.[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Will-Fleury-149881) • [2](https://oktagonmma.com/en/events/124/)
**Loss to Muradov.** On August 1, 2026, Fleury moved back down to defend his light heavyweight title against Makhmud Muradov at Oktagon 92 and lost by TKO (punches) at 0:19 of the second round, the first loss of a nine-fight unbeaten streak that had preceded the bout.[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Will-Fleury-149881) • [4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Will-Fleury-Promises-to-Slay-Giant-Martin-Buday-at-Oktagon-81-199568) Fleury subsequently said publicly that he felt he had won the fight and accused Muradov of avoiding a rematch.[8](https://www.mmafighting.com/latest-news/510253/will-fleury-rips-makhmud-muradov-for-walking-back-on-rematch-wonders-if-oktagon-will-continue-to-protect-him)
## Fighting style and profile
Fleury began his career at middleweight and has competed as far up as heavyweight, a span that has seen him beat naturally larger opponents; Sherdog described him as having "built his legacy on the backs of naturally larger men."[4](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Will-Fleury-Promises-to-Slay-Giant-Martin-Buday-at-Oktagon-81-199568) He stands 6 feet 3 inches (190.5 cm) tall and has weighed as much as 238 pounds (107.95 kg) at heavyweight.[1](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Will-Fleury-149881) Of his 17 professional wins, 8 have come by decision and 9 by stoppage, split between 5 knockouts and 4 submissions.[3](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Will%20Fleury/123601/)
## References
1. [Will Fleury MMA Stats, Sherdog](https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Will-Fleury-149881)
2. [OKTAGON 90: Fleury vs. Aras, Oktagon MMA](https://oktagonmma.com/en/events/124/)
3. [Will Fleury profile, FightMatrix](https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Will%20Fleury/123601/)
4. [Will Fleury Promises to Slay Giant Martin Buday at Oktagon 81, Sherdog](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Will-Fleury-Promises-to-Slay-Giant-Martin-Buday-at-Oktagon-81-199568)
5. [Will Fleury, Good Fights](https://goodfights.app/fighters/will-fleury)
6. [Will Fleury: Making Up For Lost Time, Sherdog](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Will-Fleury-Making-Up-For-Lost-Time-139487)
7. [Will Fleury Impresses and Outstrikes Anthony Salamone by an 8-1 Margin, PFL](https://pflmma.com/index.php/news/will-fleury-impresses-and-outstrikes-anthony-salamone-by-an-81-margin-to-qualify-for-the-2023-pfl-europe-series)
8. [Will Fleury rips Makhmud Muradov for walking back on rematch, MMA Fighting](https://www.mmafighting.com/latest-news/510253/will-fleury-rips-makhmud-muradov-for-walking-back-on-rematch-wonders-if-oktagon-will-continue-to-protect-him)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Mixed martial arts › Heavyweight and light heavyweight fighters › Heavyweight fighters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license