Weightclass: Welterweight
Record: 11-0
Age: 30
Height: 6′ 0″
Born in: England (Represents Germany)
Training out of: London Shootfighters
Combined opponents’ record (at the time they fought): 51-17-2
Key wins: Jefferson Goncalves, Wissame Akhmouch
Now more than a year removed from a title-winning performance for Ares FC, undefeated welterweight Felix Klinkhammer returns to action this weekend at Oktagon 80.
After finishing all four of his amateur opponents in the first round, Klinkhammer turned pro in 2018 and won his debut via rear naked choke in a little over two minutes. The German’s first four professional fights all ended via first-round submission before he also scored a first-round TKO in 2020 to bring his pro record to 5-0.
Klinkhammer proved he’s also capable of going the distance when he took a unanimous decision over Anatoly Tarasenko in his Oktagon debut in 2021 before making the jump to France’s Ares FC later that year. A pair of first-round submissions earned Klinkhammer an opportunity on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022, but he was unfortunately forced to withdraw from a matchup with current top-ranked UFC welterweight Gabriel Bonfim and hasn’t gotten a call back to DWCS.
A return to Ares FC saw Klinkhammer score another first-round submission, and last September he went five rounds for the first time and took a unanimous decision over the formerly-undefeated Jefferson Goncalves to win the promotion’s welterweight title and improve to 11-0.
While he’s best known for his stifling work on the ground, Klinkhammer does boast a unique style on the feet that’s extremely reminiscent of his London Shootfighters teammate Michael “Venom” Page. Comfortable throwing up high kicks with either his rear or lead leg, the German will keep his hands low and throw frequent feints with his lead hand before he either bursts in with punches to close the distance or fakes a strike before ducking in for a takedown.
Klinkhammer is relentless when he gets on his opponent’s hips and is happy to switch between single and double leg attempts when he forces his opposition to the fence. He does an excellent job of landing shots with his free hand while making sure that he maintains top position, and as shown in his last fight with Goncalves he’s able keep that suffocating top pressure even when facing a fighter that’s active off their back.
The London Shootfighters product is at his most dangerous when he forces an opponent to roll to their knees, as that opens up the chance for him to really start unloading with ground and pound while looking for chances to take the back and establish a body triangle. A submission threat both from the back and when he’s on top, Klinkhammer will also attack the legs from the bottom and excels at reestablishing a dominant position during these scrambles.
It’s a shame that Klinkhammer missed out on an opportunity to join the UFC when he withdrew from his DWCS fight, but he’s now set to return to Oktagon and face 24-fight veteran Máté Kertész. Kertész comes into the matchup on a two-fight skid, so Klinkhammer will be expected to extend his undefeated record and line himself up for a higher-profile matchup in Oktagon heading into next year.