It was December 11, 2009. Mariusz Pudzianowski appeared in the KSW ring for the first time, his rival was Marcin Najman. It was the first freak fight in Poland. The video below shows the behind-the-scenes of this fight.
Najman vs. Pudzianowski. “I didn't know what it was about”
– I felt sorry when Najman went out to fight, because the entire arena was against him – says Martin Lewandowski, co-owner of KSW. And he recalls that organizing this fight was not a piece of cake. – It was a lot of money, a colossal challenge and a big risk for us. It may or may not have been for KSW – he adds.
– When I entered Torwar, I didn't know what it was about. It didn't occur to me that I had to fight, says Mariusz Pudzianowski.
Pudzianowski will not fight at KSW 100. But that's not the end
The fight lasted only 43 seconds. The strongest man in the world destroyed Najman in such a short time and whetted the fans' appetites. Experts appreciated Pudzianowski's victory, but they could not admire it. – In that fight, Mariusz used his greatest asset, which was strength. The technique wasn't there. These low kicks looked like he was kicking the ball out of the goal area – says Artur Sowiński, former KSW champion.
The gala turned out to be a great commercial success. Mariusz Pudzianowski then began his adventure with MMA, which has been going on for fifteen years. “Pudzian” will not perform at the next KSW 100 gala, but as he announces, he does not intend to end his career yet.