Eddie Hall made a successful mixed martial arts debut, although the event wasn`t entirely smooth, featuring a few unexpected issues.
On Saturday at KSW 105, the former World`s Strongest Man secured a victory in his inaugural MMA fight, defeating fellow strongman Mariusz Pudzianowski by knockout in a mere 30 seconds. Despite “The Beast” claiming his first professional win inside the cage, he acknowledged gaining some necessary experience. The bout`s start was initially marked by confusion as Hall wasn`t fully prepared when the referee attempted to commence the round.
In a post-fight interview shared on TikTok, Hall explained the mix-up: “My fault,” he stated. “I believed you`d have your drink, followed by the referee explaining the rules, and then the glove touch. It appears things are done differently here in Poland. I apologize for that; it`s purely down to my lack of experience. This being my first MMA fight explains the mistake.”
Hall quickly recovered from the false start, and once the match began, “The Beast” wasted no time asserting his dominance. Despite Pudzianowski`s significant experience advantage, Hall started aggressively, quickly disorienting Pudzianowski with an opening combination. Pudzianowski attempted a takedown, but Hall countered by throwing his fellow strongman to the ground and landing a rapid series of punches until the referee stepped in to stop the fight.
However, during Hall`s subsequent onslaught, some strikes landed on the back of Pudzianowski`s head, a point the 48-year-old competitor mentioned after his defeat. Hall expressed remorse for this as well.
“I threw the initial jab, and he recoiled; I could see the apprehension in his eyes,” Hall recounted. “So I immediately followed with a one-two combination. It happened so fast, he dropped his guard, and the second punch connected. That`s when his eyes rolled back, and I just maintained the pressure, manhandled him, and continued hitting him in the head with full force…”
Hall continued, “Naturally, while he was on the ground, I was just throwing hammerfists. You kind of lose yourself – again, my apologies, this was my first fight. I believe I struck him in the back of the head once or twice. Then I heard the referee yell at me, and it registered, so I redirected my strikes to the face. Once more, I apologize. Given my limited experience, I wouldn`t appreciate being struck in the back of the head myself, so I genuinely feel sorry, Mariusz. But sometimes these occurrences are accidental.”
After Hall`s victory, attention quickly shifted to his future plans in MMA. Prior to the fight, KSW CEO Martin Lewandowski had suggested the winner might be an interesting opponent for PFL heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. While Hall didn`t outright dismiss the idea, he specified the kind of opponent he`s seeking for his next mixed martial arts venture.
In a separate post-fight media gathering, Hall commented on potential opponents: “Jon Jones,” he quipped initially, before clarifying, “Just joking. Not Jon Jones. I need to take some time, step back, and assess the situation. If a rematch with Mariusz Pudzianowski is an option, I`d be interested, especially with the two-minute rounds as initially discussed for the first fight. However, I don`t aim to become a ranked contender or be the top fighter in KSW. I intend to accept fights that appeal to me. If they can find another World`s Strongest Man willing to compete, I believe that would be a logical choice. I`m not looking to challenge the KSW No. 1 contender.”
