Ukrainian fighter Ihor Potieria becomes FightStar Championship champion

Former UFC fighter Ihor Potieria (21-8) claimed the FightStar Championship light heavyweight title. The Ukrainian competitor faced Brazil's Kally Gibrainn de Oliveira in a highly contested bout at The O2 in London. Potieria and Oliveira quickly engaged in a flurry of strikes, with Potieria even bleeding at one point. Despite the challenges, the 30-year-old Ukrainian managed to keep Oliveira at bay and forced a submission in the first round.

Potieria had recently joined FightStar Championship in July and was set to make his boxing debut earlier that month, though his scheduled fight was canceled. In January 2023, Potieria announced his departure from the UFC, ending his final match with the organization with a loss to Marco Tulio. He had previously missed weight for a UFC bout, and former Klitschko opponent Mariusz Wach had been defeated by what was described as a "team of Gypsies" in Poland.

The previous month, Wach had faced Tyson Fury, also known as the "Gypsy King," in a boxing match. Wach's corner stopped the fight in the seventh round. Earlier in March 2026, Wach had lost to Ukrainian Viktor Vykhryst, while Wladimir Klitschko had previously defeated him in a world title fight in 2012. Oleksandr Usyk had predicted the winner of a potential fight between Fury and Anthony Joshua.