Rapper vs. Bodybuilder: KSW Adds ‘Popek Monster’-Burneika Freakshow to May 27 Stadium Show

Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki has found an over-the-top, freakshow fight for its forthcoming stadium card, even before finding an opponent for former “World's Strongest Man” Mariusz Pudzianowski.

Monday, KSW announced that its May 27 “Colosseum” card will feature a heavyweight contest between rapper-stroke-fighter “Popek Monster” Pawel Mikolajuw and infamous bodybuilder Robert Burneika. “Colosseum” takes place at the home of the Polish national soccer team, Warsaw's PGE Narodowy Stadium, which has an approximate seating capacity of 58,415.

The 38-year-old Mikolajuw returned to the cage after an eight-year absence at KSW 37 last December, lasting just 80 seconds before being knocked out by Mariusz Pudzianowski. He has become known as much for his colorful behavior such as tattooing his eyeballs as he is for his rapping: at the press conference last September to announce his fight with Pudzianowski, a group of armored riot police with guns burst into the room and “arrested” Mikolajuw in a publicity stunt he co-coordinated with KSW officials.

Burneika, also 38, is a Lithuanian native and former competitive bodybuilder who gained infamy for his charismatic-yet-bizarre Youtube videos, featuring his bodybuilding and lifestyle exploits, as well as on-camera interviews. The nearly 290-pound Burneika holds a 2-0 record, but hasn't fought since defeating Dawid Ozdoba via exhaustion in April 2013.

KSW “Colosseum” is headlined by a 181-pound bout between KSW's middleweight champion Mamed Khalidov and welterweight champion Borys Mankowski and also features four scheduled title bouts: Fernando Rodrigues Jr. defends his title versus Marcin Rozalski; 205-pound champ Tomasz Narkun puts his strap on the line against Marcin Wojcik; featherweight ace Marcin Wrzosek stakes his title against Kleber Koike Erbst and flyweight prospects Diana Belbita and Ariane Lipski contest the vacant KSW women's flyweight title. Aforementioned strongman legend Mariusz Pudzianowski and Olympic wrestling bronze medalist Damian Janikowski are also scheduled to appear on the card against unnamed opponents.