Mariusz Pudzianowski | Photo by Foto Olimpik/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The leading European promotion begin their 2020 schedule with a show from Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland.
KSW will return to Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland for the seventh time, as they kick off their 2020 schedule with an event on March 21st. The event was announced during KSW 52 this last weekend, along with the show will contain some of the biggest names in the promotion. Five times World’s Strongest Man, Mariusz Pudzianowski, KSW welterweight champion, Roberto Soldic, and former KSW heavyweight title holder, Karol Bedorf, will all feature on the card—although their opponents are not yet known.
Mariusz Pudzianowski (13-7, 1NC) is the face of the promotion, and is a major reason why KSW is so well established in their base of Poland. He brought many new eyeballs to the sport when he made his MMA debut in December 2009—due to his extremely well-known and popular strongman career. Ten years later, his star power hasn’t diminished; he remains beloved by the loyal Polish fans. In his last outing, the heavyweight defeated Erko Jun by second round TKO to get back in the win column after suffering back-to-back losses against Karol Bedorf and Szymon Kolecki.
KSW welterweight champion Roberto Soldic (17-3) was due to compete at the promotion’s inaugural event in Croatia last month, as the hometown hero. But, an injury suffered during his victory against Michal Pietrzak at KSW 50 scuppered that plan. At just 24-years-old, Soldic remains one of the brightest European prospects—with his 82% knockout ratio as proof of the power he has in his hands. The UFD Gym product holds victories over the likes of Borys Mankowski, Dricus Du Plessis, and Krystian Kaszubowski in his KSW career.
Karol Bedorf (15-5) currently owns a piece of KSW history, as the man to hold the promotion’s heavyweight belt for just over three years—the longest heavyweight title reign in KSW history. He suffered a serious knee injury in 2017, after losing the title, and has struggled to recapture the form that made him champion. Bedorf is in desperate need of a victory going into KSW 53, having lost 3 of his last 4—including a loss to current champion Phil De Fries.
It’s warming up to be a huge weekend for MMA in Europe, with the UFC hosting their annual London event that same night, and Cage Warriors return to the Indigo at the O2 on the previous evening. Official bouts for KSW 53 will be revealed in the coming weeks.