KSW 70 ‘Pudzianowski vs. Materla’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Lukasz Rajewski (163) vs. Francisco Albano Barrio (163)

Round 1

Some may take solace in the fact that there’s no major MMA this weekend, but Polish organization Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki would beg to differ. KSW 70, a fight offering that may not put any belts up for grabs, should still provide action by the barrel. We kick off this nine-bout show with a pre-planned catchweight at 163 pounds, the rough midpoint between lightweight and welterweight, as longtime KSW vet Rajewski (11-7, 1 NC; 4-4 KSW) faces off against Barrio (9-2, 1-1 KSW) in a classic Poland vs. Argentina battle. The first referee assignment goes to Tomasz Bronder, who stands stoically poised but intervene at a moment’s notice following the glove touch of the sportsmen. Rajewski wades forward, waving his hands in circles as he backs Barrio off early, until he suddenly explodes into a punch combination. Barrio swats it away and attempts to fire back, but neither man connect with anything of merit. Barrio sneaks in a left while Rajewski advances, and he bull-rushes forward to make Rajewski react. The Polish fighter sits down on a heavy leg kick, and he stabs his toes out with a front kick to the body as Barrio exerts a slight grunt. Rajewski comes up short with a one-two, and when Barrio tries to give him something back, Rajewski is there to tag him with a straight right hand. “Croata” gets in a right hand as he tries to back his foe off, but Rajewski keeps his foot on the accelerator as he has Barrio constantly backing up. A one-two from Rajewski glances off the shoulder, and Barrio absorbs one flush that follows, making the Argentinian fighter crash forward for a takedown. Rajewski hops his way to the cage when Barrio plods forward to change levels and ground him, and he keeps his balance against the fencing and escapes on the outside. While Barrio sneaks in a right on the break, Rajewski shrugs it off and gathers himself in the center of the cage. A pair of Barrio blitzes get tossed aside, and Rajewski strides forward with a short combination of clubbing punches on the jaw. Rajewski stalks his prey, working with low kicks and jabs as Barrio retreats, and Barrio comes up short when he wings looping strikes back. Three huge punches from Rajewski lead to a Barrio level change, and “Croata” lifts Rajewski up in the air and slams him down with what started as a suplex but ended as a dump. Rajewski scrambles, and he slithers out the back door and does not allow Barrio to take his back, where he stands firm in the center of the cage. Rajewski tosses up a head kick, and pushes out with the ball of his foot when Barrio swings at him, ending the round with the push kick. 10-9 Rajewski.

Round 2

Barrio senses he might be down on the scorecards early, as he begins the round aggressively, with a swarm of punches that leads into a takedown try. Rajewski stuffs it and blocks the most dangerous blows, and he slings back with a right hook that lands squarely on Barrio’s chin. Rajewski misses a head kick by a matter of inches, and he follows it with a stabbing left to the torso. Barrio’s subsequent takedown entry is well off the mark, and Rajewski makes him pay for it with a crushing overhand right. Barrio reels but gathers himself, and he slides back when Rajewski loads up on another windmilling strike. They trade punches with reckless abandon, neither budging as much as an inch, and Barrio may have clipped his man at the end of an exchange as Rajewski backs off in a daze. Barrio bears down on him, and Rajewski shoots in for a takedown that does not work to his benefit. While the first try does not succeed, his second puts the fighters on the mat, and Barrio’s eyes grow wide and a grin creeps across his face as he is now in his comfort zone. As Rajewski attempts to scramble, “Croata” sneaks around to take the back with barely one hook in. Without needing to lock his legs around the body, Barrio latches on to a rear-naked choke, and he switches to palm-to-palm in a hurry as it is locked up fast. Barrio knows he has it set, and Rajewski surrenders to give Barrio his second stoppage victory under the KSW banner. Good start to the fight card.

The Official Result

Francisco Albano Barrio def. Lukasz Rajewski R2 2:52 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Albert Odzimkowski (188) vs. Tommy Quinn (188)

Round 1

The second and final catchweight contest of the day comes at 188 pounds in a rematch between Odzimkowski (11-6, 1 NC; 0-3, 1 NC KSW) and “The Roly Poly Kid” Quinn (9-5, 1 NC; 0-0, 1 NC KSW). The two first collided in March, and although Odzimkowski initially had his hand raised in victory, the result was later overturned on review as an illegal Odzimkowski knee to a grounded Quinn started the finishing sequence. A glove touch reintroduces one to the other as referee Lukasz Bosacki watches on in hopes that nothing goes awry this time. Odzimkowski claims the center of the cage to begin the match, and he scores first with a looping left hand. Quinn tries to meet him in the middle and throw back, only for Odzimkowski to knee him in the body twice to back him off. Odzimkowski slaps a leg kick home, and he steps in with a push kick. “Zloty” pokes out with a low kick, and he fires off a left hook that catches Quinn flush and puts the Irishman on wobbly legs. Quinn falls back to the wall, and Odzimkowski gives chase and attempts to finish the job with ground-and-pound. Quinn gathers his thoughts and powers his way back upright, only for Odzimkowski to dump him back down and land in side control. The Polish fighter begins to club his man with left hands, and Quinn replies with hacking elbows before throwing his legs up to set up a triangle or an armbar. “Zloty” pushes it away and locks down a guillotine choke. Quinn rolls to his knees to get out of the danger, and Odzimkowski slams his fists upside Quinn’s head. “The Roly Poly Kid” still keeps his wits about him and works his way upright. In the blink of an eye, Odzimkowski elevates his opponent and slams him to the mat, and Quinn makes the worst decision of his life by posting with his left arm on the way down. Quinn’s elbow torques in a gruesome fashion, as tendons and ligaments very likely snap while Quinn lets out a yelp of extreme pain. Odzimkowski knows his man is hurt badly, and he does not want to cause any more damage, and Bosacki rushes in to stop the match. This is an unfortunate ending to what had otherwise been an exciting fight, but it was one caused by a damaging move in a slam that ultimately resulted in a gnarly injury.

The Official Result

Albert Odzimkowski def. Tommy Quinn R1 2:56 via TKO (Slam)

Anita Bekus (115) vs. Roberta Zocco (116)

Round 1

One women’s bout takes place on this event, and it comes next at 115 pounds when Poland’s Bekus (5-2, 1-0 KSW) tries to go two-up in KSW at the expense of debuting .500 Italian fighter Zocco (3-3, 0-0 KSW). Strawweight fights tend to be a rarity in the promotion these days, as Bekus is the lone victor in its division in the last year-plus – Karolina Wojcik is the last 115er to win prior to Bekus. Zocco attempts to win the crowd over with “Zombie” by The Cranberries as her walkout tune, and it works to a degree. Keeping a close eye on the proceeding is referee Michael Bell, but he should not have much to worry about as the ladies touch ‘em up before competing. Zocco comes out guns blazing, throwing everything into a barrage of punches. Bekus meets her in the middle and swings right back, and she is just a whisker quicker. Zocco tags her foe with a left, and Bekus takes it on the chin and welcomes the exchange. Zocco is still chomping down on her gumshield throwing leather, and Bekus slows her down briefly with a clinch tie-up. The Italian turns her around to work the body, and Bekus turns her back and lets Zocco possibly burn through an adrenaline dump. “The Diamond” scores a few knees to the torso, and Bekus hangs on tight and hits a trip to land in half guard. Bekus gets dragged back to full guard, and she slowly, methodically works with punches to the head and body. Zocco looks to buck to her hip or throw some strikes off her back, but Bekus smoothly passes guard and grinds elbows on the Italian’s chin. Zocco sits up and twists to her knees and back to her feet, walking up the fence to get standing again, and Bekus is on her like a cheap suit. The Polish woman seeks a mat return, fishing for trips or throws to plant Zocco on the ground again. Bekus decides to simply lift Zocco all the way off the ground, and Zocco stumbles when her legs hit the ground and Bekus takes her back. With 45 seconds remaining in the round, Bekus, gets a hook in and starts punishing her opponent with punches upside the head. Zocco looks to roll all the way through, but Bekus is hanging on tight making her life miserable. The round ends they are both sitting up, with Bekus on Zocco’s back. 10-9 Bekus.

Round 2

The ladies consider touching gloves, but instead try to measure the other with jabs. Bekus wades forward confidently, reaching her left out a few times to catch Zocco flush. When Zocco fires back, Bekus gloms on to her in the fence and start hunting for takedowns again. Zocco cannot get her adversary off of her, as Bekus marks her up with elbows until she decides to push off and get to work standing. Bekus punches her way in, gets tagged a few times as they briefly brawl, and clinches again. Powerful elbows slam into Zocco’s nose, bloodying it up until Bekus crashes in to hunt for a body lock. The blood flowing from the Italian’s beak is enough to make her open her mouth to breathe, and the strikes from Bekus are causing the blood to spread and give Zocco a slight crimson mask. Bekus calmly steps back and clips Zocco with a few punches, and body language by the two women cannot be more telling. Zocco explodes with winging punches and a flying knee, and Bekus sees it all coming and patiently waits for Zocco to empty the gas tank and work her over. The Polish combatant works the body with knees, and she sneaks elbows over the top, until Zocco bursts forward with a swarm of punches. Bekus swats the majority of the strikes away, stifling a superman (superwoman?) punch that comes her way and defending a subsequent takedown try. Bekus turns her foe around into the wall, and she begins to deliver several knees to the midsection. Zocco’s frantic pace slows, barring single home run strikes, while Bekus delivers damage to the head and body. They separate, and Bekus steps back as Zocco throws hands to the bell. 10-9 Bekus.

Round 3

The final round commences with Bekus marching forward with several jabs, and they may not find their home, but they do enough to make Zocco retreat. Bekus slips a right to give one back right on the cheek, and Zocco shakes it off and circles away. They trade single strikes one after the other, and Bekus barely flinches when absorbing the strikes while snapping Zocco’s head back on a few occasions. Zocco gets in a clean jab after dipping back from a pair of front kick, and the pace has waned significantly from both strawweights. Zocco jumps with a knee and swipes out with two punches, only for Bekus to practically laugh off the superman punch that does manage to connect. Zocco somehow gets off a superman elbow, and Bekus walks through it fearlessly and tees off on Zocco with punches. Bekus appears energized after taking those strikes clean, and she is the more accurate of the two as she pops Zocco in the chops. Zocco tries to back her off with front kicks, and she settles for a looping left hook. Bekus replies with one of her own, and she has a body kick get caught. Zocco sprints forward to deliver fists to face, and Bekus slides out of the way and clinches the Italian up to start battering her body again with knees. After a plethora of knees landed, Bekus pushes off and lands a few distance strikes before retreating as Zocco attacks. Zocco has an overhand right just brush over the hair of her opponent, and Bekus pushers her back to the wall and connects with a right. Zocco flails back, and she manages to land one or two while throwing north of a dozen, but Bekus pushes past them. Zocco mixes things up with front kicks, and Bekus steps forward, brimming with confidence, to blast Zocco with one final huge right hand right before the bell. We have now gone the distance for the first time tonight. 10-9 Bekus (30-27 Bekus).

The Official Result

Anita Bekus def. Roberta Zocco via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Radoslaw Paczuski (186) vs. Jason Wilnis (185)

Round 1

It’s all big men from here on out at this KSW card, as no bout for the remainder of the card comes below 185 pounds – and that middleweight affair before we shift to 205 and beyond is this one. Both making their debuts, ACA vet Paczuski (3-0, 0-0 KSW) battles it out with former Glory kickboxing middleweight champ Wilnis (2-0, 0-0 KSW) in what should be a fun striking affair for as long as it lasts. In case the broadcast has not mentioned it multiple times, Wilnis does hold a kickboxing win over UFC champ Israel Adesanya and is 2-1 against Alex “Poatan” Pereira as well. Drawing the assignment is referee Tomasz Bronder, whose eyes are wide open should he need to dive in suddenly in the event of a clean knockout that both men can deliver. The two ex-kickboxers – Paczuski also fought in this sport – touch gloves, and the tension is high early as they come out with high guards. Paczuski lands a pair of low kicks as Wilnis comes forward, and he pulls a third back to not let it get checked. Wilnis does check a third when Paczuski tries again, and he marches forward without throwing anything but in full defensive mode. Wilnis suddenly loads up with a body kick, and Paczuski laterally slides away and gives one back. The Polish fighter is staying busy circling away, and he absorbs a body kick and gives two leg kicks back when Wilnis predictably comes forward. Wilnis at least partially checks the kicks that come at him, and he slips a left hand over the top. Wilnis gets off a single thudding kick to the inner thigh, and he shrugs off a kick that comes at him. A quick slugfest comes from both men, and they shake the strikes off. While Wilnis is stalking his man down like a Terminator, Paczuski suddenly explodes forward to hunt for a takedown. Wilnis stays upright, and he is forced to fight off an inside trip and he leans against the cage. Paczuski breaks with a kick to the liver, and he swipes with a left hook. Wilnis just misses with a bomb of a right hand, and Paczuski thanks his lucky stars it missed as it would have likely severed his consciousness. Wilnis tosses out a high body kick, and he lands one on a second try. Paczuski tags Wilnis with an overhand right, and he brings out the fire of Wilnis, who swings back aggressively. The tense, close round ends after the short brawl. 10-9 Paczuski.

Round 2

The middleweights touch gloves to start off the second frame, and the approach has not changed, with Wilnis slowly marching forward while Paczuski is easily circling around on the outside. Paczuski plays the matador to the Dutchman’s bull as Wilnis sits down on an inaccurate strike, and he slips away with comfort. Paczuski pushes out a jab and ducks back when Wilnis replies, and he absorbs a body kick so that he can clip Wilnis with a left hook. Wilnis shakes it off and takes a leaping right hand on the temple, and before he can advance, Paczuski gets off a solid low kick. Wilnis then fires, but he comes up missing the mark. Wilnis absorbs a punch and tags his foe with a short punch that wobbles Paczuski’s legs, and Wilnis looks to capitalize on it with clinch work and a takedown that does not keep the Polish fighter down for long. Paczuski springs back up and starts throwing hammers, with Wilnis shelling up and countering with a single strike. Paczuski has a low kick connect without getting checked, and the pace falls through the floor as both men want to measure one another and might have felt the power. Paczuski retracts a leg kick before tossing it, and they both have right hands blocked. Paczuski splits the guard with a left, and he knocks Wilnis back and strings together a short stream of punches and a body kick. Wilnis answers with a pair of right hooks, hitting hard enough to make Paczuski think twice about continuing his barrage. They break apart and again slow down, with a leg kick from each and little more. Paczuski punches his way into a clinch, and he just misses a pre-emptive counter. Wilnis guards himself against the fence from the punches that swing at him, and he has a counter right. The Dutchman answers a low kick with a jumping body kick, and the round ends after a funky exchange. 10-9 Wilnis.

Round 3

Both hands are touched from both men, celebrating their 10 minutes of MMA combat thus far, and clocking in the last round. Paczuski steps in with a pair of jabs, and a left rings Wilnis’ bell. Wilnis tries to gather himself and sling back a head kick, only for the kick to collide with Paczuski’s guard. Wilnis intercepts Paczuski with a low kick, and he blocks a step-in right hand that attempts to counter him. The Polish man gets his leg kick checked, and a second try misses the mark. Wilnis thumps the torso with a kick, and it is one-and-done as they reset. Wilnis steps back and goes up high with a kick, and when it misses, Wilnis slips and hits the mat and plants with his left hand. Wilnis’ middle finger on his left hand practically snaps in half, and he stands up with a blank expression while showing Bronder the damage. Bronder immediately calls the fight off due to the surprising injury, even though Wilnis is more than willing to continue and does not show a modicum of discomfort on his visage. It appears to be something akin to a dislocation rather than a clean break, as it is reset by Wilnis’ team, although the fight is already over and will not be restarted. It may be an anticlimactic end to a tense and close match, but the promotion could decide to run it back in the future.

The Official Result

Radoslaw Paczuski def. Jason Wilnis R3 1:45 via TKO (Finger Injury)

Damian Piwowarczyk (206) vs. Bartosz Lesko (204)

Round 1

Up next, two young light heavyweight up-and-comers will throw down when the undefeated Piwowarczyk (5-0, 2-0 KSW) welcomes Lesko (11-2-2, 0-0 KSW) to the KSW cage. Both men celebrate a majority of their victories by tapout while neither has ever been submitted, so something might have to give all while referee Lukasz Bosacki watches on. There is a sporting touch of gloves, and Piwowarczyk immediately hops forward with a short stomping kick to the knee. Lesko sits down on a low kick to respond, and Piwowarczyk advances quickly. Lesko tries to back him up with a head kick, but Piwowarczyk shrugs it off and kicks at the knee again, before jumping in the air to toss his own knee at Lesko’s chin. Lesko ignores it and throws back recklessly, getting Piwowarczyk’s attention momentarily but getting caught with a counter. The unbeaten fighter prods out with a front kick to the body, and he uses long punches before tying Lesko up in the clinch. They jockey for position when looking for body locks, and Piwowarczyk settles to work the side before splitting away. Lesko loads up on a right hand after the reset, and Piwowarczyk intercepts him with a kick to the knee to disrupt Lesko’s movement. Piwowarczyk pops Lesko with a shovel left hook, and he ignores the offense that comes at him so that he can score clean punches and kicks to the knee on his own. Piwowarczyk keeps abusing the knee with strikes, and Lesko backs him off with a right hand, but only for a moment. Lesko stays composed on the outside, and Piwowarczyk lazily tosses out a front kick that gets countered with a straight left. “Damsyn” gets off a few low kicks, and Lesko times a dip to kick Piwowarczyk in the face. A right hand from Piwowarczyk opens a cut around Lesko’s eye, and they trade unorthodox but effective leg kicks. Piwowarczyk times a knee to go after a double-leg takedown, and Lesko answers with a guillotine choke to keep Piwowarczyk honest. Piwowarczyk gives up on the entry, and Lesko sweeps the legs in response to hit his own double. Piwowarczyk springs back up immediately, and he keeps his balance after a mat return attempt. Piwowarczyk hangs on to an arm while Lesko tries to take him down again, and he pops Lesko right at the bell with a cheeky right hand. 10-9 Piwowarczyk.

Round 2

The light heavyweights meet in the middle, but Piwowarczyk advances first. Lesko is the one that throws initially, with an overhand right that misses the mark wide. Piwowarczyk picks and pokes with leg kicks at different angles, until Lesko charges at him to clinch and slow the kicks down. “Damsyn” breaks the grip and calmly marches forward, jabbing and intercepting Lesko as Lesko swings wildly. Piwowarczyk eats a left hook so that he can aim a head kick up high, only for the kick to bounce off the guard. Lesko catches the unbeaten fighter coming in, and Piwowarczyk methodically stalks after him and starts laying into him with punches. Three come over the top, knocking Lesko back against the wall and effectively touching Lesko. Damage in the form of swelling and cuts grows beneath both of Lesko’s eyes, and Piwowarczyk changes gears and grabs on to his opponent to hunt for a body lock. Any time Lesko wants to turn him around, the undefeated youngster quickly spins him back. When Lesko tries to break, Piwowarczyk is the one that scores with a short left hook. Lesko retreats and suddenly jumps forward with a sweeping right hook, and Piwowarczyk ignores it so that he can plod forward and further mark Lesko up with straight punches. Piwowarczyk is calm and not throwing anything too hard into anything, which could be criticized as his blows are not likely of the finishing type, but he is effectively scoring and controlling his opponent. Lesko seeks out a trip with his legs, but Piwowarczyk maintains the balance and largely keeps Lesko with his back to the wire. Lesko hacks with short elbows until Piwowarczyk breaks, and he plants a solid one-two on the chin to back Piwowarczyk up momentarily. Lesko blitzes in with a takedown, planting Piwowarczyk on his back with emphasis, and Piwowarczyk latches on to a guillotine choke off his back. The round ends in this position. 10-9 Piwowarczyk.

Round 3

The final round begins with low kicks from Piwowarczyk, and he leans back when Lesko throws haymakers at him. Piwowarczyk plods forward to clinch up, and he bullies the relative veteran into the wall for a moment. After they both catch their breath, they separate, and Lesko swipes out with a left that glances off the target. Piwowarczyk punches his way forward after the break before jumping in the air with a flying knee, and Lesko answers him with a trip to plan the undefeated fighter on the mat. Piwowarczyk powers right back up, as if the floor was lava, and he walks up the wall. Lesko hangs on to him when they are against the fencing, and he scores a single left hand when separating. Piwowarczyk is sucking wind as he marches forward, but he is still landing single effective strikes like oblique kicks to the knee or piercing straight punches over the top. Piwowarczyk throws two punches before ducking down for some kind of takedown, and Lesko looks irritated when he stuffs it and gets jammed against the wire. Piwowarczyk keeps busy enough to not prompt any referee intervention, and he slides back before Lesko can reach him with a right hook. Lesko looks for that punch a few more times, and Piwowarczyk is wise to it as he keeps his left hand high to block it. “Damsyn” jabs the body and ducks back when Lesko is throwing inaccurate but heavy strikes, only to march forward and initiate a clinch. Piwowarczyk cannot hold him there, so he decides to swing up a head kick right as they split up. Lesko motions as if the strike did not hurt or land, and they get back to kickboxing range where they potshot one another. Piwowarczyk keeps his hands loose and he even takes a look outside of the cage for a few seconds, possibly out of confidence, and continue to score strikes. Lesko fails on a takedown, and he misses a head kick only to get clocked with a flying knee. They smile at one another and trade hands until the final bell, ending this odd fight that could have a wide range of scores. 10-9 Lesko (29-28 Piwowarczyk).

The Official Result

Bartosz Lesko def. Damian Piwowarczyk via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Marek Samociuk (256) vs. Izuagbe Ugonoh (236)

Round 1

A year and a month ago, these two heavyweights in Samociuk (3-2, 1-1 KSW) and Ugonoh (1-1, 1-1 KSW) met in the KSW cage. After a brutal first round, Samociuk survive the worst of the barrage and pounded out Ugonoh early into Round 2 to land the spectacular comeback. Whether because ex-boxer Ugonoh holds some clout or because someone thought the result was contentious, the two are running it back now in front of referee Michael Bell. There is no interest in a glove touch, and business will be settled shortly and likely in violent order. Samociuk starts first with a huge right hand to get his opponent’s attention, and Ugonoh backs off and blocks a second that comes at him. Samociuk is raging like bull with his offense, swinging for the fences early and putting Ugonoh on the defensive early. Ugonoh sneaks in a response with a punch, but Samociuk advances to push Ugonoh to the wall and take him down. Samociuk easily slices over to full mount, and he rides through a bucking Ugonoh to work on him with short yet powerful ground-and-pound. Samociuk retains heavy pressure instead of sitting up to blast him with huge strikes, When Ugonoh keeps pushing his hips up, Samociuk decides to start raining down ground punches. Ugonoh explodes to get his man off of him, only to surrender his back for a moment. Samociuk does not bother to go for a choke, instead landing short and not destructive punches. Bell is taking a close eye on the proceedings, but Samociuk is continuing to punch from his dominant position. Ugonoh turns to his stomach and gets flattened out, and Samociuk keeps on dropping hammers. They may not be individually destructive, but they are adding up and Samociuk is a very large heavyweight. When the boxer turns to his side, Samociuk has him completely trapped, and he batters Ugonoh with punches until Bell decides to step in as this would not get better for Ugonoh. The ex-boxer does have some swelling on his eye, but there was practically no intelligent defense from “Izu,” as Samociuk likely did enough to merit the stoppage.

The Official Result

Marek Samociuk def. Izuagbe Ugonoh R1 3:38 via TKO (Punches)

Ivan Erslan (206) vs. Rafal Kijanczuk (205)

Round 1

With longtime KSW light heavyweight champion Tomasz Narkun no longer holding an iron grip on the throne, both Erslan (11-1, 1 NC; 2-1 KSW) and Kijanczuk (11-4, 1-0 KSW) hope to be on a shortlist of an upcoming title shot given the lack of depth in the division and the freshness of most matchups with current champ Ibragim Chuzhigaev. The two knockout-friendly strikers will battle it out in front of referee Tomasz Bronder, and they are glad to touch gloves as they are aware of the potential stakes for the victor. There is a lengthy feeling out process between the two, with neither willing to toss out much. Erslan reaches out with a high kick, Kijanczuk replies with straight punches, and Erslan blitzes forward with a few punches to back “Kijana” up. They trade strikes, and Kijanczuk sits down on a one-two when Erslan strides forward. Erslan shoots in for a takedown, and Kijanczuk immediately threatens with a guillotine choke to stave him off. Erslan grabs the fence a few times to keep his foe stuck against the wall, and he lands a short strike on the inside to bust up Kijanczuk’s nose. Erslan grinds heavily, and he steps back just in time to dodge a huge right hand. Erslan is fired up after dodging the blow, and he lets loose with a massive swarm of lethal punches. Kijanczuk takes them on the chin and gets knocked back to the wall, and Erslan lays into him with right hands. The punches continue to mount, and one such strike upsets the equilibrium of Kijanczuk and sends him crashing face-first to the mat. Erslan follows him down with two punches partially to the back of the head until Bronder can reach them and stop the fight, with Kijanczuk in no mood or ability to fight back at all. The victorious Erslan rushes to the wall to call someone out, and his sights go to KSW great Mamed Khalidov, who would provide one heck of a battle if they threw down in the future. Erslan declares in his post-fight interview, "I will be the next champion in KSW," as he names either former opponent Narkun or current beltholder Chuzhigaev as who he wants next.

The Official Result

Ivan Erslan def. Rafal Kijanczuk R1 3:13 via TKO (Punches)

Ricardo Prasel (239) vs. Daniel Omielanczuk (254)

Round 1

Two well-traveled heavyweights are sure to slug it out in this co-main event, as ex-Dana White’s Contender Series competitor Prasel (12-3, 1-0 KSW) faces UFC vet and returning KSW fighter Omielanczuk (25-12-1, 1 NC; 0-2 KSW). The latter competed twice at KSW 12 in 2009, losing both times that night, with the second defeat coming as he stepped in as an injury replacement for its heavyweight tourney. Since then, Omielanczuk fought for a myriad of other leagues including the UFC and ACA, and he finds his way back to the KSW rankings after all these years. Both he and Prasel respectfully touch gloves before handling their business, and referee Lukasz Bosacki nods as the cage is officially sealed around them. Prasel starts with a low kick, and it smacks straight into Omielanczuk’s cup, as Omielanczuk raises his arms in protest for getting kicked in the groin. The Polish fighter needs 10 seconds to gather himself before starting up, and he revs of his engine with looping punches. While shorter and stockier, Omielanczuk plods forward aiming his power punches. Omielanczuk catches a front kick and tosses the German-Brazilian man down to the mat, where he climbs over to half guard easily. Prasel defends off his back with a leglock, and Omielanczuk grabs the fence a few times to stop it. Prasel drags his man down to the mat for a heel hook, and they keep 50-50 position. Prasel dives on to the heel hook, selling out for it, and Omielanczuk sits up to smack Prasel in the face. While he gets off a single left hand targeting the mark on Prasel’s cheek, Omielanczuk leans back in obvious pain as his ankle is trapped and in serious danger from what has turned into a straight ankle lock. The Polish fighter twists and turns, but there is no way out, and he is dry as a bone. Omielanczuk taps out as his face contorts in pain, and Prasel instantly releases the grip so as to not harm his opponent any longer. “Alemao” curses his underdog status as he pulls off yet another finish, and maintains his stoppage rate at a perfect 100%.

The Official Result

Ricardo Prasel def. Daniel Omielanczuk R1 2:01 via Submission (Ankle Lock)

Mariusz Pudzianowski (256) vs. Michal Materla (222)

Round 1

At the KSW 6 tourney in 2006, Materla (31-8, 20-6 KSW) made his promotional debut, and he submitted three men in one night to take home the tournament title. Since then, “Magic” Materla has been a staple for the organization, competing – and winning – more times than any other fighter, while holding a litany of records. Meanwhile, the five-time World’s Strongest Man Pudzianowski (16-7, 1 NC; 16-6, 1 NC KSW) appeared with KSW first at KSW 12 – look back to Omielanczuk’s first KSW card, which was one that “Pudzian” headlined. Why did these two company mainstays never meet? They were at least two weight classes apart, with Pudzianowski even competing at super heavyweight on occasion, while Materla ruled the seas at middleweight for years. With glory and ultimate bragging rights on his mind, Materla hit the scales at his heaviest of 222 pounds, and still clocked in 34 pounds beneath the gargantuan Pudzianowski. While nothing is formally on the line, everything feels somehow on the line in this KSW 70 headliner that does not look like one that will last long. Referee Michael Bell receives the supreme honor of officiating this unexpectedly brilliant matchup, and the KSW legends – that is, legends as it pertains the KSW banner – happily touch gloves before trying to smash the other’s face into jelly. Pudzianowski advances slowly, and he dips back when Materla swipes with a right hook. Two punches from the ex-middleweight catch Pudzianowski on the chin, and he does not budge. Pudzianowski bulldozes forward and knocks Materla back several feet, with the power and strength differential almost comical. Material bounces off the wall, and he defends a standing guillotine choke setup when Pudzianowski pushes him to the wall. Pudzianowski backs off, and he sits down on a thudding leg kick. Pudzianowski punches and kicks, and a knee from Pudzianowski errantly collides with the cup. Materla is a coiled spring when he resumes, throwing wildly and missing the mark, while the strongman kicks his lead leg with an audible thud. Materla backs up, and “Pudzian” rips an unearthly uppercut right on the jaw that knocks Materla clean off his feet. Before Materla’s head collides with the mat, he is already sleeping with his ancestors. One final hammerfist from Pudzianowski is purely academic as the lights are on but no one’s home in the Materla noggin. Bell leaps in across the cage to rescue the obliterated Materla from further damage, and Pudzianowski does not deliver any further punishment when observing that Materla is completely out. The doctors and event staff rush into the cage to attend to Materla, who is still unconscious as he writhes on his side. It may be a chilling visual, but it is a testament to the unbelievable power of Pudzianowski, the five-time World’s Strongest Man. Materla eventually regains consciousness and sits up, much to the delight of the nervous crowd, as he was out for quite some time. He may not remember what he had for breakfast today, and he might have had first grade punched clean out of his skull, but Materla recovers and gets to his feet for the official announcement. At 45, Pudzianowski is now on a five-fight knockout streak, and he immediately has his next challenger: fellow KSW legend (and middleweight) Mamed Khalidov. Make it happen. This bizarre event comes to an extremely violent close, giving fans something to remember over this Memorial Day. The UFC was off this weekend, but the KSW delivered when it mattered, and KSW will be back on June 18 – the same day as the UFC Austin card. We will be here for both of those shows, and we hope you are too.

The Official Result

Mariusz Pudzianowski def. Michal Materla R1 1:55 via KO (Punch)