KSW CEO Martin Lewandowski is keen on raising the stakes for the upcoming highly anticipated clash between former World`s Strongest Man champions Eddie Hall and Mariusz Pudzianowski, hinting at a potential super-fight against Francis Ngannou for the winner.
Hall and Pudzianowski are scheduled to headline KSW 105 this Saturday in Gliwice, Poland. Lewandowski recently spoke about the possibility of the victor squaring off against former UFC Heavyweight Champion and current PFL fighter, Francis Ngannou, in a cross-promotional bout.
“I’m in touch with the guys from PFL,” Lewandowski confirmed. “So definitely we can talk about this kind of match if they would be willing to share the fighter, no problem.” He added, “I can say from now that I’m interested to do that, definitely.”
Modified Ruleset for Hall`s Debut
As this marks Eddie Hall`s professional mixed martial arts debut, the fight will feature a modified ruleset to accommodate the transition from strongman competition. The bout will follow traditional MMA rules but will be contested over two rounds, each lasting four minutes. Additionally, the break period between rounds will be extended to 90 seconds, allowing the fighters more recovery time.
Negotiations and Contract Details
Lewandowski revealed that finalizing the unique ruleset was a key part of the negotiation process, which took considerable time. “It’s been, I think nearly a year I’ve been trying to match up this fight,” he stated. Lewandowski initiated contact by asking Mariusz Pudzianowski, a five-time World`s Strongest Man, to connect him with Eddie Hall, the 2017 champion. He spent almost a year trying to convince Hall to make his MMA debut with KSW.
Delays in scheduling were attributed to various external circumstances, including Hall welcoming a newborn child. The fight was initially planned for KSW 100 but couldn`t be arranged at that time. Lewandowski described the year-long process to bring “two big guys” into the KSW cage as “a quite long, bumpy road,” but ultimately “fun to negotiate with Eddie.”
Mariusz Pudzianowski enters this fight for his 27th professional MMA appearance, looking to rebound from two consecutive losses. Eddie Hall`s only prior experience in combat sports was a viral 2-on-1 exhibition fight last year.
Regarding Hall`s future with the promotion, Lewandowski confirmed that Hall has a multi-fight agreement with KSW. “Two fights [on his deal],” he stated, adding that they are open to discussing a longer future, though Hall currently has a busy schedule. Lewandowski emphasized that future plans will largely depend on the outcome and performance in Saturday`s debut bout. He noted that Hall appears to be taking his MMA training very seriously, even training alongside top heavyweights like Tom Aspinall.
