World’s Strongest Man legends to face off in wild | Sports News

The MMA world is making ready for a shake-up in April, with two heavyweights set to battle it out at KSW 105. The battle will see former World’s Strongest Man winners Eddie Hall and Mariusz Pudzianowski take to the octagon for what’s being referred to as the World’s Strongest Fight.

Scheduled to happen on April 26 in Gliwice, Poland, comprised of two four-minute rounds, it can mark Hall’s one-on-one MMA debut – having beforehand overwhelmed TikTokers Jamil and Jamel Neffati in a two-on-one battle in 2024. But whereas 2017 WSM champion Hall lacks expertise in contrast to Pudzianowski, who turned to MMA after retiring from strongman, he’s 11 years youthful than the 48-year-old five-time WSM champion.

Previewing the battle, the 2 confirmed each other a great deal of respect, with Pudzianowski saying “Eddie shouldn’t be like some barroom brawler. He is a actually robust man who weighs 160kg [352lb] immediately and on April 26 I consider can be 150kg [330lbs],” as per The Sun.

“I know what it means because I come from the same source so for the first two minutes it will be an unstoppable steam engine. It’s only that I still have some of this strength and I have the experience before youth and some cunning. So if I do not let myself be caught by a cheap trick it should be fine.

“But let’s not underestimate it. He is a heavyweight and his hands weigh a lot.”

As for Hall, who has also tried his hand at boxing (a unanimous loss to 2018 WSM winner Hafthor Bjornsson) since retiring immediately after his sole WSM win, he admitted to “being scared” ahead of the fight with the strongman icon.

“I think being scared is a very natural trait. Even going into my strongman, you’d be scared, you’d be nervous,” he said. “If you’re not scared, you’re not nervous then something’s not right. Let’s face it, I’m going up against Mariusz Pudzianowski; 26 professional fights, five times World’s Strongest Man. He’s a fierce, fierce man and to get in the cage and exchange leather with a man who’s had 26 fights? I’ve had one!

“So I’ve got a lot to be scared of and the four-minute rounds has been a tough thing for me to accept as well. He’s got a lot of advantages but I’ve said ‘sod it’, why not let him have four-minute rounds? Let’s just get this done.”

Hall hasn’t hidden his admiration for Pudzianowski in the build-up to their fight, saying on The Ariel Helwani Show that he watched the giant Pole growing up, saying he was “probably one of the main reasons why I even got into Strongman” and happening to describe their bout as “a massive privilege.”

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But it seems that Pudzianowski wasn’t initially supposed to be Hall’s opponent. Instead, the Brit’s close good friend and four-time WSM champion Brian Shaw, bodybuilder Martin Ford, and 2023 WSM champion Mitchell Hooper.

When these fights fell by way of, and with Hall left feeling “miffed,” he determined he wished “to do something with it – the next man in line was Mariusz Pudzianowski. I put lots of feelers out and have been in communication with KSW for over a year. It’s finally come to fruition.”

Pudzianowski enters the battle with a 17-9 document (with one no-contest), though he hasn’t fought since his loss to Artur Szpilka in 2023.