Even in circles, a coach assaulting a rival fighter one day out from an event is headline-worthy news. That was the fate that led to Akonne Wanliss' scheduled Oktagon 54 bout against 9-2 Sahil Siraj being cancelled less than 24 hours out. Both fighters had made weight before a testy (but not violent) face-off in Ostrava, Czech Republic - but everything went to pot when two of Siraj's coaching team jumped their fighter's foe exiting the press conference. Wanliss - who counts welterweight champion - was accosted and even headbutted by ex-UFC fighter Reza Madadi, with Oktagon later confirming both the coaches involved would be banned from their promotions for life. Every cloud has a silver lining, however, and 'The Jedi' is elated he's "still able to get his hands on Siraj" after their Tipsport Gamechanger bout was rearranged for Oktagon 56 in his hometown, Birmingham, on April 20. Sky Sports is bringing you 500 live
Football games to watch, as well access to C £22 a month "Obviously getting attacked by the other corner [team], it's not my fault," he told when asked what sparked the fracas. "And the severity of what I was saying [to Siraj in their face-off], it wasn't offending anyone's family, or saying I'm gonna kill their dog [laughs]! "I wasn't being personal! I just said I'm gonna bounce a Jaffa Cake off his coach's head, and I'm gonna knock out his boy in round one. If I haven't missed anything, that's just fighting talk." For those uninitiated in Wanliss' ways, the mixed martial artist is a sucker for the spongey orange treats, which he claims to put away a box at a time when outside training camp. Despite maintaining a ripped physique year-round, even the 7-2-1NC fighter has his vices when it comes to sweet treats. The Brummie - who is in a relationship with adult content creator and - had a lightbulb moment when Daily Star Sport suggested 'Jaffa Cake' may translate into something else in Siraj's native tongue. "Maybe! I think you've hit the nail on the head," he replied. "I definitely feel like something else was going on. "I feel like they were intimidated. They were stumbling over their words. . .especially his coach. The coach just lost his s*** and couldn't keep it together. That's where we've seen the craziness from him. And to gang up where you've got two, three man trying to beat me up literally 24 hours before a fight - it's pretty crazy." Iran-born Madadi - who retired in 2017 after going 3-4 in the UFC - can be seen headbutting Wanliss as soon as he came through a set of doors, then took on around "six more shots," while a glass was also thrown at him. The Englishman didn't take the attack lying down and got in a couple of his own licks, but the incident left him in no shape to fight the following day. "I think it's the maddest weigh-in experience in history. I don't think I've ever seen - in all my years in MMA - a fight get cancelled because a corner rushed [their fighter's opponent]," added Wanliss. "So Jaffa Cake must mean something different in
Sweden [where Siraj is based, though he was born in Afghanistan]." For all that bad blood and the "absolutely disgusting" actions of the opposing team, however, The Jedi's thirst for revenge only goes so far. In fact, he hopes Madadi and the other coach in question banned for April's bout at Resorts World Arena, though he accepts there's a risk of rival teams exploding like and once did at UFC 229. "I don't really care if you ban them," he explained. "I actually want him to be there cageside when I knock out his boy and get to bounce a Jaffa Cake off his head! But I don't think Oktagon will want a repeat of a Khabib and Conor situation. You might see me launching over the cage flying at the guy [laughs]! And that's probably what they don't want." With a €1million (£850,000) prize on the line, the round-of-16 opponents are eager to stay in the running for Gamechanger gold, and Wanliss reminded Siraj he's to thank for keeping him in contention after Oktagon considered cancelling their bout. In The Jedi's view, justice has already been served as he gets to fulfil a dream headlining a card in his native Birmingham, but he won't be content until he secures the stoppage victory - and flings a citrusy sponge - at his opposition.