UFC Signs Polish MMA Prospects Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Damian Grabowski

UFC officials on Monday announced the signings of women’s strawweight Karolina Kowalkiewicz and heavyweight Damian Grabowski, both well-regarded MMA prospects hailing from Poland.
Kowalkiewicz’s signing was first reported by Mike Fr…

UFC officials on Monday announced the signings of women’s strawweight Karolina Kowalkiewicz and heavyweight Damian Grabowski, both well-regarded MMA prospects hailing from Poland.

Kowalkiewicz‘s signing was first reported by Mike Fridley of Sherdog. Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting broke the news of Grabowski‘s signing.

While neither fighter stands out as an overwhelming athlete, both are skilled competitors with the tools and pedigree to capitalize on thin divisions.

The 29-year-old Kowalkiewicz (7-0) provides instant depth to the UFC’s 115-pound weight class. A fairly well-rounded (if not particularly explosive) fighter, she has two wins by submission, one by knockout and four by decision. She also brings a relative wealth of high-level experience, having competed for prominent promotions like Invicta FC and Polish MMA kingpin KSW.

And lest we forget, Kowalkiewicz is also an interesting stylistic foil to another Polish strawweight, reigning UFC champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk. 

It’s hard to think of a 35-year-old with a 20-2 pro record as a prospect in the strictest sense of the word, but it applies at least loosely for Grabowski. A longtime mainstay of the M-1 promotion, Grabowski has competed three times under the Bellator banner, going 2-1 during that stretch.

A meat-and-potatoes kind of fighter, Grabowski prefers to dirty things up in the clinch or on the ground, seeking to land heavy strikes or lock on a fight-finishing choke.

Though he may not be earmarked for a title shot right out of the gate, Grabowski could be a solid addition to what is a markedly sparse UFC heavyweight field.

There was no immediate word on an opponent or debut date for either fighter.

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