Swedish bantamweight Liam Pitts is stepping back into the spotlight this weekend, facing a different kind of pressure. He is set to compete at OKTAGON 87 on April 25 in Liberec, Czech Republic, against Poland’s Kacper Matyszewski in a catchweight bout.
While his upcoming fight is significant, many viewers already know Pitts from his previous television appearances. As the son of Swedish media personality Laila Bagge and music producer Mason Pitts, he gained mainstream recognition through the reality series “Lailaland.” This early exposure, combined with his junior wrestling achievements and years of training at Allstars in Stockholm, has paved his way in MMA.
Pitts has steadily built his professional fighting career. His debut, as listed on FightMatrix, was at AFN 8 in October 2024, where he defeated Brandon Najera by third-round TKO. He later secured an OKTAGON contract with a swift 39-second knockout at AFN 10.
Beyond MMA, Pitts connected with a broader audience on “Förrädarna,” the Swedish version of “The Traitors.” Participating in the second season, he experienced firsthand the show’s core elements of deception, suspicion, and social manipulation within a competition for a cash prize. Pitts revealed that the experience lingered long after filming concluded.
“It was an amazing experience actually… it’s a very psychological game, like it’s more psychological than people think. They take your phone and you can’t leave your room… it’s almost like being incarcerated. It took like two months for me to come back to reality again… I was thinking constantly about the game and what I could have done differently.”
Pitts also shared insights into the production side of “Förrädarna,” describing the constant tension of unexpected late-night interruptions and the uncertainty of whether a knock on the door signified elimination or an interview.
“They would come knock on your door… you’re like, ‘oh ***, I’m cooked.’”
Now, the arena shifts from a strategic game to the intensity of fight weekend. Pitts has already demonstrated his ability to leverage attention from reality television into success in combat sports. He enters his next fight at OKTAGON 87 this weekend, where the undefeated Swedish bantamweight aims to maintain his winning streak in a crucial opportunity in his career.