The highly anticipated fight between Eddie Hall and Mariusz Pudzianowski in 2025 could potentially lead to an even bigger matchup, according to KSW`s CEO, Martin Lewandowski.
Both former World`s Strongest Man champions are set to headline the KSW 105 event this Saturday in Gliwice, Poland. The event will be broadcast live as a pay-per-view on KSWTV.com.
Lewandowski recently addressed the possibility of a cross-promotional fight, specifically between the winner of the Hall vs. Pudzianowski contest and Francis Ngannou, the PFL heavyweight champion and former UFC titleholder.
“I`m in touch with the guys from PFL,” Lewandowski confirmed. “So definitely we can talk about this kind of match if they would be willing to share the fighter, no problem.” He explicitly stated his interest, adding, “I can say from now that I`m interested to do that, definitely.”
Notably, the ruleset for the Hall vs. Pudzianowski bout has been adjusted, primarily because it marks Eddie Hall`s professional mixed martial arts debut. The fight will utilize traditional MMA rules but is limited to two rounds of four minutes each. The rest period between rounds is also extended to 90 seconds, rather than the standard one minute.
Lewandowski revealed that putting this specific fight together, including finalizing the unique rules, was a complex and lengthy process, taking nearly a year. He initially reached out to Mariusz Pudzianowski, a five-time World`s Strongest Man winner, to connect him with Eddie Hall, the 2017 champion. Following the introduction, Lewandowski spent months working to convince Hall to make his MMA debut under the KSW banner.
Scheduling the fight earlier proved difficult due to various personal and external factors affecting Hall, including the birth of his child. The bout was even initially planned for KSW 100 but couldn`t be completed for that event. Lewandowski described the negotiation journey as a “long, bumpy road” but ultimately found it “fun” to work with Hall. He expressed relief that the fight is finally set for this Saturday, April 26th.
This will be Mariusz Pudzianowski`s 27th professional MMA fight as he seeks to rebound from two consecutive losses. Eddie Hall`s only previous foray into MMA competition was a viral 2-on-1 exhibition match held last year.
According to Lewandowski, Eddie Hall`s current contract with KSW is for two fights. While there`s potential for future bouts, the focus is currently on the near term due to Hall`s other commitments.
“Two fights [on his deal],” Lewandowski confirmed. “For now, and then, of course, we are talking about longer future, but he has a busy schedule for this year, so I don’t want to plan [for] what happens in 2028.” He added that the future depends heavily on the outcome of Saturday`s fight. Lewandowski also noted Hall`s serious approach to training, mentioning that he has even trained with UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, indicating his dedication to his MMA debut.
