She’s Next – WMMA Weekly Preview
Each week, I’ll highlight one women prospect on my radar and in action in the upcoming days
Veronika Smolková
Record: 9-3
Weight Class: Flyweight
Age: 23 years old
Training: Dracula Gym
Combined opponents record: 33-25
Veronika Smolková has steadily developed into one of the most notable female prospects to emerge from the Slovak MMA scene in recent years. Representing Dracula Gym, the 23-year-old flyweight has built her reputation largely under the OKTAGON MMA banner, but her path to becoming one of the promotion’s leading female athletes was far from straightforward.
Like many fighters from Central Europe, Smolková spent several years competing extensively in the amateur ranks before turning professional. Her amateur career included appearances at the GAMMA World Championships, where she captured a tournament title in 2022, adding an important international achievement to her résumé before making the full transition to the professional circuit. Prior to that, she gained experience in regional promotions such as DFN and MAMMAL, steadily accumulating cage time against a variety of opponents.
Her professional debut came in late 2022, but the early stages of her career were marked by inconsistency rather than immediate success. After starting her pro run with a 2-3 record, Smolková found herself in a position where many prospects begin to disappear from the radar. During that stretch she competed in promotions such as United Fight League and made her first appearance under the OKTAGON banner, suffering setbacks that raised questions about her long-term ceiling.
Instead of stalling her progress, those losses became a turning point. Beginning in 2024, Smolková started putting together the most significant run of her career. Victories came consistently, whether in regional organizations or on larger stages, and her standing within OKTAGON steadily improved. As the wins accumulated, she transformed from a developing prospect into a legitimate contender within the promotion’s flyweight division.
The timing of her rise has coincided with OKTAGON’s rapid expansion across Europe, giving her exposure in front of larger audiences than most Slovak fighters of her generation have enjoyed. By 2025, she had become one of the organization’s most recognizable female athletes, and her winning streak pushed her toward title contention. Entering 2026, Smolková had strung together seven consecutive victories and established herself among the top-ranked female fighters competing under the OKTAGON banner.
Beyond her competitive achievements, Smolková has also become a visible figure in Slovak MMA media. In interviews, she has spoken openly about personal struggles, including severe bullying during her youth, making her one of the more relatable personalities among the new generation of Slovak fighters.
Still only in her early twenties, Smolková remains a fighter whose story is very much being written in real time. What began as an uneven professional career has evolved into one of the more impressive turnaround stories currently unfolding in European women’s MMA.
Awaiting her at OKTAGON 89 will be Australia’s Lisa Kyriacou, a veteran of the Oceania scene who brings considerably more high-level experience than her record alone might suggest. Kyriacou has competed under the ONE Championship banner and owns a five-round appearance against former UFC fighter Cynthia Calvillo, making her one of the more seasoned opponents of Smolková’s career. With both women entering the bout carrying identical 9-3 professional records, the matchup serves as a significant measuring stick for the Slovak prospect. Fighting in front of a home crowd in Bratislava, Smolková has an opportunity to strengthen her position as OKTAGON’s top-ranked flyweight and continue her climb toward title contention.
The matchup against Lisa Kyriacou brings a very specific kind of challenge for Veronika Smolková, one that revolves around pressure, physicality, and sustained striking exchanges rather than anything unfamiliar in terms of pace or intent. Smolková has built her identity around being an aggressive, forward-moving striker who never really allows opponents to settle. Her approach is built on high output, throwing everything with intent, and forcing opponents to react rather than initiate.
On the feet, her Muay Thai base is central to everything she does. She operates in a strong stance, comfortable closing distance with footwork that keeps her constantly in the opponent’s space. Once there, she is dangerous in multiple phases of striking. Her clinch work stands out in particular, with violent knees and good control inside, where she can chain attacks and maintain pressure. Elbows are also part of her close-range arsenal, and she is capable of causing real damage in tight exchanges. At range, she mixes combinations well, kicks with intent, and has shown the ability to crack opponents when exchanges open up. The stoppage win over UFC veteran Stephanie Egger is often referenced as an example of how damaging her striking can be when she finds rhythm. There is also a clear sense that 125 has become her natural division, especially considering her pro losses all came at 135.
She is not a one-dimensional pressure fighter either. There are elements of sniper-like precision in her striking at times, particularly when she starts reading opponents and picking moments to explode. She is also physically strong, carries herself well in the clinch, and has shown she can check kicks effectively when exchanges become more technical.
However, the same aggressive identity that makes her dangerous also creates openings. Smolková does not move her head enough and is willing to brawl when exchanges heat up, which can lead her into extended trading sequences. There is also a tendency to rely too heavily on her confidence in the striking, sometimes overextending with her shots, especially as fights progress into later rounds. Her defensive grappling remains relatively basic, and she has not recently been tested consistently against high-level wrestlers, leaving some uncertainty around her takedown defence under sustained pressure. Cardio is another question mark, with pacing issues appearing when she throws too much too early and overcommits in exchanges.
On the ground, her game remains largely unproven at a high level, leaving a significant unknown in her complete MMA profile heading into another step up in competition.
Overall, she’s a really intriguing prospect for Oktagon and I’m eager to see her grow her arsenal as time goes on.
