His biography reads like a TV pitch: a Czech bodybuilder and bouncer, the first fighter from the Czech Republic in the UFC, a prison stint for marijuana, a comeback on the European stage with 20,000-seat sellouts — and a private zoo in his yard with sharks, lionesses, and a crocodile. Karlos Vemola is a character who feels equally at home in the Octagon, on television, and inside an animal enclosure. He lives with a Playboy model, raises four children, and keeps shocking the public as if every day were a new fight for attention.
From Quiet Kid in Glasses to the Mat: Wrestling as the Family Baseline
As a child, Vemola was considered a “nerd”: thick-lensed glasses, a love of nature, butterfly collections. But his fiery temperament — and a father who coached Greco-Roman wrestling — quickly put him on the mat. By six he was in his first club; by sixteen he had six national titles in the Czech Republic. His clinch base and torso control were forged not in fitness studios but in stuffy wrestling rooms. Over time, his predatory temperament surfaced more often in street scraps than at tournaments.
Schwarzenegger Over the Olympics: Bodybuilding as a New Creed
In his later school years, high-amplitude lifts replaced high-amplitude throws: an Arnold poster on the wall and a goal to “be the best bodybuilder in the world.” The ceiling felt low in the Czech Republic, so at nineteen Vemola moved to London. He reached the British Championship; officials refused to place him in the juniors — thinking he looked “too adult” — and he won in the seniors. But chaos with regulations and organization cooled his enthusiasm: the adrenaline needed a new outlet.
Night Shift, One Encounter — and the Cage: A Chance Start in MMA
Working as a bouncer in Tottenham became a turning point. One night Vemola stopped two aggressors who were harassing waitresses. They turned out to be MMA fighters, and the next day the head of London’s Cage Fighters promotion knocked on his door with a contract. Debut — a choke in 44 seconds. Second fight — a five-second knockout. Then came a string of first-round finishes and a title. With his Greco-Roman base, a heavy overhand, and a bodybuilder’s physique, he looked in heavyweight like a mini version of his idol Fedor Emelianenko, who beat giants with speed and timing.
The First Czech in the UFC: A Fast-Track Course to the Elite
Two years after his debut came a UFC contract and the historic status of “the first Czech in the league.” In heavyweight, with triple sessions daily and what he likened to “fueling a sports car”: a “five-digit” calorie intake to digest MMA training loads. His debut was harsh: a loss to American wrestler John Madsen showed that in the UFC, takedown defense is as good as takedowns, while Vemola’s striking lagged. He dropped to light heavyweight and earned a Knockout of the Night bonus against Seth Petruzelli. Then came another loss and a move to middleweight; one win, two defeats, and a release. Cutting to welterweight was unrealistic, and he returned to Europe. Still, he remembered the UFC fondly: “What I liked most in the UFC was that the management treated us equally. In England, as a champion, I had privileges, but the UFC was different. A rookie and a star had the same conditions. I rode in luxury cars, wore branded clothes, and slept in the best hotels. It was a five-star life!”
European Renaissance: Belts, Sellout Arenas, and His Own Saga
After the UFC he racked up wins over unknowns and collected belts in smaller organizations. The only top-level opponent was future UFC middleweight Jack Hermansson: in 2015, fighting in London for the Warrior Fight Series belt, he was caught in an armbar in the first round, confirming gaps in his grappling. Everything changed in 2019 when, with a 24–5 record, he signed with the Czech-Slovak promotion OKTAGON MMA. There he became a major European star and, in the Czech Republic, the top name after Jiri Prochazka.
Two Belts, a Trilogy, and 20,000-Seat Nights
He won titles at middleweight and light heavyweight, posting a 12–4 run over six years and building one of European MMA’s standout trilogies against Slovak fighter Attila Vegh. In spectacle and promotional voltage, it was a local version of “Mineev vs. Ismailov”: up to 20,000 fans in arenas and nearly six million views on YouTube for the first fight alone.
A Prison Chapter and Gloss: Contrasts Outside the Cage
In 2013, his life took a sharp turn: nearly a year in prison for running three marijuana-growing farms. According to investigators, the business involved the retired relatives of his then-girlfriend, a Playboy model. His ties to the magazine run deep: relationships with several models, his own photoshoot in 2019, and, a few years later, marriage — of course, to a Playboy model. Today he is the father of four and a media figure who blends the gossip pages with combat sports.
A Private Safari at Home: Lionesses, Sharks, and a Crocodile in the Yard
The most talked-about part of his image is his private zoo. In a luxurious residence, Vemola keeps lionesses, sharks, crocodiles, and even a kangaroo. He personally feeds the predators and enters the enclosures as if it were routine. Once, he says, a pig ran into a lion’s cage; he yanked it from the predator’s paws, “steered” the lion into a neighboring pen, and carried the prey out in his arms — as his family watched through the window. It all began on a 2012 African safari: he found a wounded lion cub, took it home, and then bought it a “mate,” forming the core of his collection. Later he even had a white Bengal tiger — the idea inspired by footage of Mike Tyson walking with his striped giant. Lacking documents, the tiger was taken to Germany, but the zoo continued operating. For a time, he let visitors in, with tickets around 400 euros — the scandals and debates only multiplied.
‘Rescue or Whim?’: A Debate With Animal Advocates
Activists raise fair questions about animal welfare and the legal subtleties of keeping wildlife. Vemola counters that he “saves animals from death,” giving them a home and care. The crocodile story illustrates his impulsive “yes” to his children: after a zoo visit, his son asked, “Dad, can we get a crocodile?” His wife read something in his eyes and shouted, “No! No! Are you crazy?” Two weeks later, a four-meter crocodile was swimming in their yard. He calls eagles, sharks, and those reptiles the most exotic members of his collection. His ambitions aren’t modest either: from “I’d buy a dinosaur if I could” to the far more earthly dream of owning an elephant.
After the Last Fight: Media, Cars, and a ‘Hit and Entertain’ Mentality
The final chapter inside the cage ended in style: at forty, Vemola beat Attila Vegh, sealed the trilogy, and retired. YouTube channels (including interviews with Jiri Prochazka), commentary gigs, occasional film appearances — and a parade of favorite cars on social media. He always said that what he loved in the UFC was equal treatment: a rookie and a star under the same conditions — “a five-star life.” He has now built that life for himself outside the league.
Final Bell: A Hero of the Age of Spectacle and Contradictions
Karlos Vemola is a distillation of the MMA era in which sport has long fused with media narratives. He laid his foundation on the mat, became the first Czech in the UFC’s Octagon, and in Europe the face of arena shows. At home he turned his residence into the set of a personal safari film, multiplying both fans and critics. He knows how to sell a spectacle — inside the cage and beyond. And that’s exactly why people either love him or don’t get him. In MMA, it’s almost impossible to remain indifferent to figures like this.
