With just two days remaining before the event, Oli Thompson will step up to face Ante Delija at KSW 51 in Croatia.
UFC and Bellator MMA alum Oli Thompson will step up on short notice to face Ante Delija at KSW 51 this weekend. The British heavyweight and former strongman will replace Denis Stojnic, the promotion announced Monday. Stojnic was forced off the card due to an undisclosed injury.
Thompson (20-11) has competed for KSW several times in the past, most recently at KSW 32 in 2015, back in his native England. He also went up against fellow strongman Mariusz Pudzianowski at KSW 27, losing to ‘Pudzian’ in a unanimous decision.
Notably, Thompson also faced current KSW heavyweight champion Phil De Fries back when the pair shared a home under the UFC banner.
In his last five bouts, Thompson is 3-2, and will enter KSW 51 off a win over Kamil Bazelak in the English regional scene.
Ante Delija (16-3), a protege of Mirko Cro-Cop, has competed for the likes of RIZIN FF and the PFL, and holds a win over former UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez. Delija will be fighting at home in Croatia, and will enter the fight with Thompson at 7-1 in his last eight fights. His only defeat in that stretch came to future UFC heavyweight Marcin Tybura in 2015. Delija last competed in June, defeating Carl Seumanutafa in the PFL.
KSW 51 takes place Saturday, November 9 at the Arena Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia. Mariusz Pudzianowski and Erko Jun top the card in a heavyweight clash.
