Tag: Poland

UFC Looks to Make Poland Debut Next October as Part of 2014 ‘European Tour’


(“What were you saying about a solar-powered flashlight, YOU SON OF A BITCH??” / Pudz-Sapp photo via Sherdog)

Long dominated by embarrassing freak show fights involving beefed-up circus strongmen, the Polish MMA scene could use an injection of legitimacy. Luckily, the UFC is looking to hold its first event there next October in the city of Lodz, according to an MMAJunkie report citing UFC executive vice president Garry Cook. A date and venue have not yet been confirmed.

The Poland event will be part of the UFC’s 2014 “European Tour,” in which Ireland, Sweden, Germany, and even Turkey will host smaller-scale events focusing on local talent. As Junkie explains:

The tour is expected to include a half-dozen European cities and will have a unique look and feel, compared to other UFC shows. Additionally, the start times won’t be geared toward North American audiences (in other words, expect late-morning/early-afternoon broadcast times in the U.S. and Canada), and local fighters will be signed to help fill out the regional cards.


(“What were you saying about a solar-powered flashlight, YOU SON OF A BITCH??” / Pudz-Sapp photo via Sherdog)

Long dominated by embarrassing freak show fights involving beefed-up circus strongmen, the Polish MMA scene could use an injection of legitimacy. Luckily, the UFC is looking to hold its first event there next October in the city of Lodz, according to an MMAJunkie report citing UFC executive vice president Garry Cook. A date and venue have not yet been confirmed.

The Poland event will be part of the UFC’s 2014 “European Tour,” in which Ireland, Sweden, Germany, and even Turkey will host smaller-scale events focusing on local talent. As Junkie explains:

The tour is expected to include a half-dozen European cities and will have a unique look and feel, compared to other UFC shows. Additionally, the start times won’t be geared toward North American audiences (in other words, expect late-morning/early-afternoon broadcast times in the U.S. and Canada), and local fighters will be signed to help fill out the regional cards.

Cook says he hopes the cards will accomplish the goal of giving fight fans around the globe a chance to enjoy the live-event experience. “We’re never short on people who want to see great fights,” Cook said. “The demand is there.”

The UFC’s new international plans mark the final shift from the promotion’s old strategy of every show being marketed as a must-see event to a new reality in which some cards are simply irrelevant for North American viewers. (Judging by the Fox Sports 2 ratings for the last Fight Night card in Manchester, it seems like most of you have already gotten that memo.)

Now we just have to figure out what this “unique look and feel” entails. A brand-new Septagon cage? The return of the Moat? And can intercontinental UFC champs be far behind?

Worst… Street Fight… Ever [VIDEO]

(Video courtesy of LiveLeak)

When a guy announces prior to a street fight that he “knows karate,” you pretty much know he’s full of shit. This dude from Poland decided to demonstrate the katas he learned as a young boy on a seemingly unwilling victim, and narrated the entire altercation.

Besides a whole lot of rolling around and a few face-slaps, not a whole lot happens, but not because he wasn’t trying. He whiffs on a soccer kick as his opponent is getting back to his feet and tries to land the perfect punch, to no avail. I wonder if he realizes that the people watching aren’t laughing with him?


(Video courtesy of LiveLeak)

When a guy announces prior to a street fight that he “knows karate,” you pretty much know he’s full of shit. This dude from Poland decided to demonstrate the katas he learned as a young boy on a seemingly unwilling victim, and narrated the entire altercation.

Besides a whole lot of rolling around and a few face-slaps, not a whole lot happens, but not because he wasn’t trying. He whiffs on a soccer kick as his opponent is getting back to his feet and tries to land the perfect punch, to no avail. I wonder if he realizes that the people watching aren’t laughing with him?

Too  bad the other guy wasn’t a BJJ black belt. THAT would have made things interesting.

Apparently everyone in Poland is a karate master or a boxing champ  – at least on the street.


(Video courtesy of YouTube/SirCharlesBarrington)

Photo of the Day: Apparently in Poland MMA Judging is Much Different Than it is Here

We got the following snapshot of one of the judge’s scorecards from Saturday night’s KSW 17 show from a reader today and we’re still trying to decipher what the hell it means.

We got the following snapshot of one of the judge’s scorecards from Saturday night’s KSW 17 show from a reader today and we’re still trying to decipher what the hell it means.

We’re thinking the stick figures on the left indicate knockdowns or takedowns, and that the author is a Conan O’Brian fan, but why he actually gave props to his homies at Copacabana Fight Team, unless he knew the cards would be published, is beyond our comprehension. Then again, he did score the main event in favor of Pudzianowski, so it’s not likely he even knows what the hell he was doing.

FYI, the Pudz-Thompson bout has since been ruled a “no contest.”

Wait, What?: Matt Lindland Is Fighting Tomorrow in Poland, I Guess

Matt Lindland Strikeforce Robbie Lawler knockout MMA photos
(“Hey man, look on the bright side — if you had won, it would have ruined my parlay bet.”)

Talk about flying under the radar. Not sure how this slipped past us until just now, but apparently MMA veteran Matt Lindland will be facing Mamed Khalidov in the co-main event of KSW 16, tomorrow in Gdansk, Poland. (Remember when it was mentioned at Chael Sonnen’s appeals hearing that Lindland couldn’t be at the proceedings because he was in Poland? Yeah, that’s why.)

Lindland, who has suffered first-round stoppage losses in three of his last four fights, is coming off a brain-melting knockout loss to Robbie Lawler last December. Khalidov is on a two-fight win streak, and is returning to action after his quick, predictable submission of James Irvin at KSW’s last event in March.

KSW’s main event will be a heavyweight wheeze-off between strongman-turned-fighter Mariusz Pudzianowski — who’s coming off his submission-via-punches win over Butterbean — and James Thompson, who has secured just one victory in his last ten fights. I appreciated this bit from Sherdog’s weigh-in report:

Matt Lindland Strikeforce Robbie Lawler knockout MMA photos
(“Hey man, look on the bright side — if you had won, it would have ruined my parlay bet.”)

Talk about flying under the radar. Not sure how this slipped past us until just now, but apparently MMA veteran Matt Lindland will be facing Mamed Khalidov in the co-main event of KSW 16, tomorrow in Gdansk, Poland. (Remember when it was mentioned at Chael Sonnen’s appeals hearing that Lindland couldn’t be at the proceedings because he was in Poland? Yeah, that’s why.)

Lindland, who has suffered first-round stoppage losses in three of his last four fights, is coming off a brain-melting knockout loss to Robbie Lawler last December. Khalidov is on a two-fight win streak, and is returning to action after his quick, predictable submission of James Irvin at KSW’s last event in March.

KSW’s main event will be a heavyweight wheeze-off between strongman-turned-fighter Mariusz Pudzianowski — who’s coming off his submission-via-punches win over Butterbean — and James Thompson, who has secured just one victory in his last ten fights. I appreciated this bit from Sherdog’s weigh-in report:

Both fighters were in good spirits during the weigh-in. In a recent interview, Thompson called the Pole “an extremely ugly creature.” In response, Pudzianowski brought him a mirror so, as he put it, the Brit could realize his own ugliness. Thompson was to quick respond. “Mariusz invents his own jokes,” Thompson said. “You’re actually an attractive — but slightly retarded — man.”

Delightful! Speaking of which, the Nazi-tatted Toni Valtonnen will also be on the card. The Finnish hate-machine will be looking for his fourth-straight win against Jan Blachowicz