The KSW 51 main event turned out to be a fun slugfest, and oddly more entertaining than the UFC’s failed attempt to move Greg Hardy to the next level just hours earlier.
KSW made its debut in Croatia Saturday night, with KSW 51 unfolding roughly the same time UFC Moscow was going down approximately 2300km away. And while the American promotion had planned to put heavyweights in the main event only to see a Junior Dos Santos health scare result in Alexander Volkov vs. Greg Hardy — a modern day freakshow fight — their polish counterpart went full-on spectacle with strongman Mariusz Pudzianowski taking on bodybuilding and social media star Erko Jun.
Jun had told Cageside Press heading into the fight that he hoped to be the first to stop ‘Pudzian.’ It didn’t work out as planned.
After a long stretch clinching along the fence early in the opening round, the pair moved to center, trading heavy bombs. Slinging leather came naturally enough to both men, and Jun managed to pull off a jumping knee, but Pudzianowski looked like a giant in comparison to his opponent. When the takedown presented itself, Pudzianowski landed it, immediately moving to mount and looking to make space for ground n’ pound.
The 42-year old was able to tie up Jun’s legs while controlling from top position, but Jun would at least survive the round. He wouldn’t survive the second. Jun would find early success in round two, getting the larger man to his back and getting to mount. But the ref stood them up after Jun held the fence. Back underway, a slugfest erupted, before Pudzian took the fight down. This time, the hulking heavyweight moved to mount and dropped hammer fist after hammer fist as Jun covered up. Before long, the ref had seen enough.
There's life in the old dog yet‼️
Pudzianowski gets the TKO win over Erko Jun. What a fight‼️ 😲 #KSW51 pic.twitter.com/AvtzvYE7Fh
— KSW (@KSW_MMA) November 9, 2019
Pudzianowski improved to 13-7 (1NC) with the win, while Jun dropped to 3-1 as a pro. Though neither man is likely to become a world-beater, the fight was certainly more entertaining than Volkov vs. Hardy, which went down barely over an hour earlier. Which should give MMA fans reason to reconsider Hardy’s place in the heavyweight division. Not to mention whether barely passable sport is worth their time when put up against entertaining spectacle.
Official Result: Mariusz Pudzianowski def. Erko Jun by TKO, Round 2, 1:43
