The upcoming fight between Eddie Hall and Mariusz Pudzianowski is one of the most highly anticipated bouts scheduled for 2025. According to KSW`s CEO, the stakes for this contest between two former World`s Strongest Man champions could be even higher than initially perceived.
Hall and Pudzianowski are set to headline KSW 105 this Saturday in Gliwice, Poland. KSW CEO Martin Lewandowski addressed speculation about a possible co-promotional matchup involving the winner of their fight and PFL heavyweight Francis Ngannou, a former UFC champion.
Lewandowski confirmed he is in contact with representatives from PFL. He stated, “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.”
Given that this marks Eddie Hall`s professional MMA debut, the rules for the fight have been modified.
The fight will adhere to standard MMA combat rules but will be limited to two rounds, each lasting four minutes. Additionally, the break between rounds will be extended to 90 seconds, longer than the typical one-minute interval.
Lewandowski mentioned that negotiating this unique ruleset was a significant part of putting the fight together, a process that took longer than many might expect.
He elaborated on the negotiation process, stating, “It’s been, I think nearly a year I’ve been trying to match up this fight.” Lewandowski initially asked Mariusz Pudzianowski, a five-time World`s Strongest Man champion, to connect him with Eddie Hall, who won the title in 2017. After being put in touch, Lewandowski spent nearly a year trying to convince Hall to make his debut in KSW. Earlier attempts were unsuccessful due to Hall`s personal commitments, including the birth of his child. The fight was originally targeted for KSW 100 but couldn`t be finalized then. Lewandowski described the effort to bring the two strongmen into the cage as “a quite a long, bumpy road to negotiate,” while also finding the process “fun”.
Mariusz Pudzianowski is preparing for his 27th professional MMA fight, looking to rebound from a two-fight losing streak. Eddie Hall`s only prior MMA experience was an exhibition 2-on-1 fight that occurred last year.
According to Lewandowski, Eddie Hall`s contract with KSW is for multiple fights.
Lewandowski specified, “Two fights [on his deal],” initially, adding that discussions for a longer future are possible, but Hall`s current year is busy. Future plans will depend on the outcome of the first fight. However, Lewandowski noted that Hall appears to be taking the fight very seriously, citing his training, which has included sessions with Tom Aspinall.