Eddie Hall is expected to start strong in his first MMA fight, but experienced Mariusz Pudzianowski is ready for his initial attack.
Both Hall and Pudzianowski, past winners of the World’s Strongest Man competition, are moving from strongman contests to the MMA cage at KSW 105 on April 26 in Gliwice, Poland. Hall, from the UK, has only had one previous MMA experience in a strange 2-on-1 fight where he defeated social media personalities, the Neffati Brothers.
He also has a boxing match loss to Hafthor Bjornsson and has been training in MMA since a strongman event planned for Qatar last year. Pudzianowski, on the other hand, is a serious heavyweight contender with 27 fights over 16 years in MMA.
Mariusz Pudzianowski Explains Strategy to Stop Eddie Hall`s `Unstoppable Steam Engine`
For eight months, Eddie Hall and Mariusz Pudzianowski negotiated with KSW to arrange a major super-heavyweight fight. They agreed to rules with two four-minute rounds and longer breaks.
At 48, Pudzianowski is 11 years older than Hall and has a lot of experience in heavyweight MMA. Having not fought for two years, he expects to withstand a powerful early attack from Hall to win.
“Eddie is not just a street fighter,” Pudzianowski told reporters after their first face-to-face meeting. “He is very strong, weighing 160kg now and expected to be 150kg on April 26.”
“I understand this strength, coming from a similar background. For the first two minutes, he will be like an unstoppable steam engine. My advantage is my experience, and some tricks.”
“If I avoid any simple mistakes, I should be okay. But we shouldn`t underestimate him. He’s a heavyweight, and his punches will be heavy.”
Eddie Hall Training with Tom Aspinall`s Team for Pudzianowski Fight
Hall needs to prepare well for a seasoned fighter like Pudzianowski before April 26. His MMA experience is limited to just six minutes, mostly spent avoiding attacks from the Neffati brothers.
“I regularly visit Tom Aspinall’s training camp to discuss my training approach,” Hall mentioned to the media. “I also have a great coach, Gee Oakes, whose son is a European K1 kickboxing champion.”
“I have excellent coaches at home who provide great advice, and we have effective plans. I won’t reveal my exact strategy, but I am definitely consulting with Aspinall’s team.”
