The highly anticipated fight between Eddie Hall and Mariusz Pudzianowski in 2025 could have even higher stakes, according to KSW`s CEO.
The two former World`s Strongest Man champions are set to headline KSW 105 this Saturday in Gliwice, Poland. KSW CEO Martin Lewandowski recently commented on the possibility of a co-promotional matchup between the winner of the Hall vs. Pudzianowski bout and PFL heavyweight Francis Ngannou, a former UFC champion.
Lewandowski stated he is in contact with PFL representatives and is open to discussing such a fight if they are willing to share the fighter.
He confirmed his strong interest in making that potential cross-promotional bout happen.
As this marks Eddie Hall`s professional MMA debut, the ruleset for his fight against Pudzianowski has been modified.
The contest will be fought under traditional MMA rules but consists of only two rounds, each lasting four minutes. Additionally, the rest period between rounds is extended to 90 seconds, rather than the standard one minute.
According to Lewandowski, agreeing on the specific ruleset was a significant point in the negotiation process, which took longer than many might expect.
He revealed that he had been working to set up this fight for nearly a year, initially asking Mariusz Pudzianowski, a five-time World`s Strongest Man winner, to connect him with Eddie Hall, the 2017 champion. Lewandowski then spent months convincing Hall to make his debut in KSW, describing the process as a nearly year-long effort.
Negotiations faced delays due to Hall`s personal circumstances, including a newborn child. The fight was originally targeted for KSW 100 but couldn`t be finalized at that time. It is now scheduled for April 26th, after what Lewandowski described as a “long, bumpy road” to successfully negotiate terms for the two strongmen.
Pudzianowski is set to compete for the 27th time in his professional MMA career, looking to end a two-fight losing streak. Hall`s only prior MMA experience was a viral 2-on-1 exhibition fight that took place last year.
Lewandowski also confirmed that Eddie Hall`s contract with KSW includes more than one fight.
Currently, Hall is signed for two fights, although discussions about a longer future deal are possible, depending on his busy schedule and performance in the initial bouts.
Lewandowski added that future plans depend heavily on how the initial fight goes, but noted that Hall appears to be taking his MMA debut very seriously, even having trained with top fighters like Tom Aspinall.
Murray Blackwood