Las Vegas — It took just twenty seconds for Judo star Iwo Baraniewski to knock out Mahamed Aly in their Contender Series fight on Tuesday.
A contract was almost a certainty after that performance, even though the 26-year old from Poland didn’t show any of his famous Judo skills.
That was by design, he added, noting that the plan was to keep the fight on the feet. “We have plan to fight in boxing, we planned to knock him out,” Baraniewski (6-0) said during his post-fight media appearance with outlets including Cageside Press. “That was the plan.”
Despite his accolades, Baraniewski was the biggest underdog on Tuesday’s card.
“When I’m the underdog, this is motivation for me,” he admitted, even if it wasn’t in this case. “Before the fight, I didn’t know that I’m the underdog. After the fight, in the interview, I heard that,” he revealed. “I very [much] like [being the underdog].”
From here, Iwo Baraniewski is looking to take a wee bit of time off before booking his UFC debut. “I stay here. I stay here, and I come to California with my girlfriend, we’re sightseeing, something. A few days break, a few days rest, I can eat something, more than like diet,” he explained.
As for when he wants to debut, “after my little holiday, I will be ready to come back and train, and I will be waiting for the fight.”
Watch the full DWCS 2026 Week 6 post-fight media appearance by Iwo Baraniewski above.
