Former World`s Strongest Man Eddie Hall achieved a stunning victory in his professional mixed martial arts debut tonight in Poland, defeating five-time World`s Strongest Man Mariusz Pudzianowski in just a matter of seconds.
Although the British strongman, Hall, had a significant weight advantage of 67 pounds over his opponent at the weigh-ins, Pudzianowski`s vast experience in MMA led many to anticipate a tough challenge for Hall. However, demonstrating immense strength and explosive power, Hall secured a rapid win at KSW 105.
Hall and Pudzianowski`s paths had seemed set to cross for several years, culminating in tonight`s highly anticipated clash between the two powerhouses. Following this impressive debut, Hall appears eager to pursue further opportunities and challenges within the MMA world.
Eddie Hall Secures Quick Victory Over Mariusz Pudzianowski in Explosive Debut
Eddie Hall needed merely 28 seconds to overcome seasoned KSW heavyweight and five-time World`s Strongest Man winner, Mariusz Pudzianowski, in their Poland bout tonight. The 2017 World`s Strongest Man landed heavy blows early on, visibly hurting his opponent and leading to a brutal stoppage.
While Hall`s technique as a massive super-heavyweight may have been unrefined, his capacity for powerful, short bursts was evident. He quickly unbalanced Pudzianowski, causing him to stumble and seemingly inflicting crucial damage with his very first impactful strike.
Hall is known for registering high scores on the UFC Performance Institute`s punching power machine, even surpassing figures like Alex Pereira and Francis Ngannou. Pudzianowski experienced that power firsthand almost immediately, struggling to recover and overcome the significant size disadvantage.
When Pudzianowski attempted a takedown, Hall effortlessly defended it, pushing his opponent aside before finishing the fight on the ground. Although Pudzianowski rightly protested strikes to the back of the head, the referee`s stoppage within 30 seconds was considered fair given the circumstances.
Hall`s only prior combat sports appearance was a 2-on-1 `Freak Fight` against the featherweight influencer brothers, the Neffati twins. Collectively weighing less than Hall, he famously knocked out both brothers simultaneously.
However, with decades of experience and dozens of professional fights, Mariusz Pudzianowski was widely seen as a far more rigorous test for Hall`s full MMA debut.
Significant Weight Difference: Hall Outweighed Pudzianowski by 67 Pounds
Hall chose to maintain his substantial size for the fight, weighing in at a massive 151.3 kg (approximately 334 lb). This made him the heaviest opponent Mariusz Pudzianowski has faced in his MMA career. Pudzianowski, meanwhile, weighed in closer to the lower end of the super-heavyweight division at 267 lb.
During his career as a strongman, Pudzianowski would often weigh up to 320 lb to support his immense lifting goals. However, upon transitioning to MMA, he drastically reduced his weight, much like Hall has also done in his preparation for the sport.
