UFC champion Tom Aspinall took to social media to celebrate the impressive MMA debut victory of his friend, strongman Eddie Hall.
Hall, the 2017 World`s Strongest Man, secured a brutal knockout win against five-time champion Mariusz Pudzianowski in their super-heavyweight bout at KSW 105. Hall, noticeably heavier than his opponent (by 67lb at weigh-ins), finished the fight in a mere 30 seconds, demonstrating impressive power.
Hall has previously trained with Aspinall, even joking that Aspinall`s grappling made him feel insignificant. The two Brits share a friendship and were in touch before Hall`s fight.
Tom Aspinall reacts as Eddie Hall brutalizes Marius Pudzianowski in MMA debut
Footage of Hall`s quick victory quickly spread online. Early in the round, Hall landed a powerful right hand, known for its strength (referenced by records at the UFC Performance Institute), staggering Pudzianowski. When Pudzianowski attempted a desperate takedown, Hall easily defended, tossing him aside. Hall then followed up with ground and pound, leading to the referee stopping the fight, although Pudzianowski appeared to protest about strikes to the back of the head.
Despite a busy night for combat sports fans (mentioning other fights like Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr), the super-heavyweight contest drew significant attention, including from UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
Aspinall, from Manchester, expressed his pleasure at Hall`s success, posting a meme on social media depicting Hall (“Me”) effortlessly discarding “responsibilities,” captioned “Go on big Eddie Hall!”
Eddie Hall eyes next challenge after dominant KSW 105 win
Hall was thrilled with his win but remained realistic about his position in the sport, noting his weight is far above the standard heavyweight limit. He stated his future lies in novelty or “freak show” fights against other very large opponents rather than climbing the rankings.
He expressed interest in a potential rematch with two-minute rounds and emphasized his goal is to have fun and fight intriguing opponents, not become a top contender. “Maybe Mariusz will do the rematch with two minutes rounds,” he told the crowd following his win. “I’ve got no aspirations to be number one in KSW. That’s just not for me. I want to come and have fun. I want to fight my heroes. I want to fight the freaks of the world.”
Pudzianowski, however, seemed less interested in a rematch or continuing, citing his age (almost 49) and suggesting MMA is a sport for younger competitors, expressing uncertainty about his next steps. “I’m not thinking about the future. I turned 48, almost 49. The sport is for young people. What’s next? I don’t know,” Pudzianowski commented in his post-fight interview.
