Polish-Canadian light heavyweight Mariusz Książkiewicz was also featured on the card, just two fights from the top of the marquee in fact. The Contender Series veteran had posted a 3-1 record since losing on DWCS in 2020, and had won a regional title by defeating Rafael Carvalho in his last outing.

Also adorning the KSW 110 card, UFC vet Rogerio Bontorin was making his KSW debut, looking to follow up on a 2023 victory under Japanese promotion RIZIN FF.

Where to Watch KSW 110

Saturday, September 20, 2025 finds Poland’s KSW setting up shop at the Hala Podpromie in Rzeszów, Poland for KSW 110. The event streams live via KSWTV.com; the action gets underway at 1PM ET, 10AM PT. Full results from the event can be found below.

KSW 110: Grzebyk vs. Tulshaev

Muslim Tulshaev def. Andrzej Grzebyk by TKO (knee and punches), Round 1, 4:09
Madars Fleminas def. Tymoteusz Łopaczyk by split decision (27-30, 30-27, 29-28)
Sergiusz Zając def. Mariusz Książkiewicz by TKO (knee injury), Round 1, 1:07
Mateusz Makarowski def. Welisson Paiva by TKO (punches), Round 2, 3:07
Szymon Bajor def. Ricardo Prasel by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Vitaliy Yakimenko def. Rogério Bontorin by TKO (punches), Round 3, 3:40
Łukasz Charzewski def. Piotr Kacprzak by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Michał Dreczkowski def. Adam Tomasik by TKO (punches), Round 1, 2:33
Sebastian Decowski def. Przemysław Górny by submission (scraf hold choke), Round 1, 1:44
Sasha Moisa def. Krystian Blezień by TKO (punches), Round 2, 1:47

The post KSW 110: Grzebyk vs. Tulshaev Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Mario “Coracao Valente” Sousa (14-2 MMA)

Age: 25 years old

Height: 6’3″ / Reach: 79″

Weight Class: Middleweight (185lbs.)

First DW’s Contender Series Fight: 2021, Week 2 and 2020, Week 9

Old DW’s Contender Series Opponent: Chidi Njokuani (22-7 MMA) (2021) and Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz (10-2) (2020)

Second DW’s Contender Series Fight: 2022, Week 8

New Opponent: Ikram Aliskerov (12-1 MMA)

Mario Sousa will be making his third appearance on the Contender Series this Tuesday. Sousa competed against Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz in his first appearance on the Contender Series a couple years ago. Sousa won the first and last round in a hard fought standing and grappling battle but did not receive a UFC contract. It’s important to note that coming into the final round Sousa looked absolutely exhausted. Unanimous decision for Sousa (30-27, 29-28 x2)

Second DWCS Fight

Sousa showed off his kicks in this fight (which was his second appearance on the Contender Series) and how explosive he is especially in the first seven minutes of the fight (nine out of Sousa’s ten KO/TKOs are in the first round). Sousa also looked good in the clinch despite losing a point in the first round from landing two groin strikes.

Sousa sometimes throws more looping punches and they take a lot of energy and sometimes leave him exposed. Sousa was rocked by his opponent in the second round but recovered nicely.

Throughout the second and third round Sousa showed that he was really comfortable with being on his back with his opponent in his guard and continually threatened decent submission attempts.

To open the third you could really see the fatigue and damage accumulation in Sousa via his body language. Sousa was hit by a knee in a clinch which sent him to the ground and it was the beginning of the end as he was finished via ground n’ pound strikes. A third round TKO for Sousa’s opponent. 

First/Second Contender Series Opponent

Mario’s actual first Contender Series opponent Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz has been 2-1, with two KOs, since their fight. And Mariusz’s opponent’s combined records since his fight with Mario, have been 25-5, so that win has aged pretty well.

Mario Sousa faced off against Chidi Njokunai in his most recent fight on the Contender Series.

After the third round finish Chidi received a UFC contract.

Njokunai is now 2-0 in the UFC with two finishes and two performance of the night bonuses.

Njokunai took just 16 seconds to finish then 13-4, Marc-Andre Barriault in his UFC debut back in Febuary. Chidi finished then 11-2 fighter, Dusko Todorovic in his next bout with an elbow in the first round.

Now Chidi Njokuani is slated to take on the surging Gregory Rodrigues on the main card of UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Song later this week.

Needless to say, Mario Sousa’s loss to Chidi Njokunai on the Contender Series has aged marvelously.

The Road Back

Mario Sousa has been busy in the one year since he last appeared on the Contender Series (September 2021). Especially compared to after his first appearance on the Contender Series (November 2020), when Sousa didn’t compete and only had a single cancelled fight in between his next appearance on the Contender Series.

This time around, Sousa has competed in two pro MMA fights, one pro grappling match, and has had three cancelled fights.

Mario finished then 14-3 fighter Antonio Gordillo in the first round back in January.

After that, Sousa took on then 0-1 fighter, Sidney Araujo, back in March and was able to finish him in the first round with a punch.

Gameplan/New Opponent 

For Mario’s third chance on the Contender Series he will be taking on 12-1 fighter Ikram Aliskerov.

Ikram Aliskerov is a vetran of the Brave CF and Eagle FC promotions and has faced good competition with his combined opponents records being 99-48.

Ikram Aliskerov’s lone loss was a KO to a then 4-0 Khamzat Chimaev back in April of 2019. So it has aged probably as well as a loss could.

Obviously, Aliskerov has very good grappling with four submissions on his record including one in both the second and third rounds.

Aliskerov also has very good kickboxing that has been improving throughout his career.

Sousa has ten wins by KO/TKO with all of them but one coming in the first round, and he is very dangerous early.

Unfortunately for Mario Sousa his third shot a redemption on the Contender Series will be against a very tough opponent/match-up once again so it will be important for him to manage his gas tank well and find a powerful shot in the fight to end it and become the 5th Redemption fighter on the 2022 season to earn a UFC contract. 

The post Redemption: Second (and Third) Chances on Dana White’s Contender Series — Mario Sousa appeared first on Cageside Press.

Capping off the night were Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz and Alessandro Gambulino, a pair of 185’ers looking to inch closer to the big leagues. Canada’s Ksiazkiewicz had just one loss as a pro, and was coming off a win in December under the Unified MMA banner.

Unfortunately for Mariusz, his lone loss as a pro had come on Dana White’s Contender Series. Brazilian Gambulino, meanwhile, had won three straight, and was competing under the LFA banner for the first time.

Also in action on Friday, Hilarie Rose, whose 5-4 record was deceiving given her losses included current UFC fighters Elise Reed and Cheyanne Vlismas. Rose was looking to get back in the win column opposite Tiani Valle.

LFA 130 goes down live on Friday, April 22, 2022, with the main card streaming on UFC Fight Pass starting at 9PM ET. Full results from the event can be found below.

LFA 130: Ksiazkiewicz vs. Gambulino Results

Main Card

Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz def. Alessandro Gambulino by TKO (knee to the body/punches), Round 1, 1:29
Marnic Mann def. Kelsey Arnesen by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Hilarie Rose def. Tiani Valle by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 3:35
Jailin Fuller def. Gage Saunders by submission (rear-naked choke). Round 1, 2:18
Darrius Flowers def. Daniel Gadley by TKO (Punches), Round 2, 0:46
Billy Elekana def. Kohlman Scribner by TKO (Head Kick and Punches), Round 1, 3:02

Preliminary Card

Mark Johnson def. Wes Ogan by TKO (ground and pound), Round 2, 4:16
Brandon Brisbo def. Jorge Apalategui by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 0:44

The post LFA 130: Ksiazkiewicz vs. Gambulino Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

A last minute replacement in Natan Levy stepped up, preventing a rehash of the previous week, which saw just four fights. Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz looked to be the next Canadian to win a UFC contract, after the success of T.J. Laramie earlier this year. Joseph Lowry was getting his second look on the show, after coming up short against Devonte Smith previously. And Danny Sabatello vs. Taylor Moore was a fight that was practically UFC-level in all but name.

This week’s installment of Dana White’s Contender Series kicks off at 8PM ET, airing live on ESPN+ where available, and UFC Fight Pass elsewhere. Tune in come fight time for results.

Be sure to check out our DWCS 2020 Week 9 Breakdown and Predictions, plus our one-on-one interview with Canada’s Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz.

Danny Sabatello immediately shot for a takedown to open his bantamweight bout with Taylor Moore. Sabatello would spend the remainder of the round on top, with Moore trying and failing to make something happen from the bottom. Moore started the second pressing forward, looking for a takedown of his own, but Sabatello wound up turning the tables, controlling from the back and getting one hook in. He’d eventually end up on top again, and ride out the round there. The third verse was the same as the first two, and Sabatello took home a lopsided unanimous decision win, with one judge awarding the fight a 30-24.

Luana Pinheiro, a solid favorite against Stephanie Frausto, took center early in the evening’s strawweight bout. Roughly three minutes into the opening frame, Pinheiro connected with a left, then a right, and suddenly, Frausto was on her way down — and out. A powerful finish from the Brazilian.

In lightweight action, Joe Lowry mixed up his striking well, working in a lead left and low kicks. Motta, however, fired back a heavy left of his own, proving that it would be a very bad idea to be caught flat-footed in front of him. In the final minute of the opening round, Motta managed to knock down Lowry, and his counter shots were proving to be incredibly nasty. In the second, Motta would trap his opponent against the fence, looking for the finish. Lowry wound up with an impromptu nose job, and was leaking blood at a steady rate. He gutted it out and went on the attack, earning fans with his toughness even as he was eating more of Motta’s power punches. In the third, with Motta slowing, Lowry managed to finish strong. But it wasn’t enough to steal the round, let alone the fight.

Replacement fighter Natan Levy managed to get Shaheen Santana down in the opening round of their lightweight scrap. From there, he worked on a kimura, americana, and generally showed a great top game. Lots of control time, and a fair bit of ground n’ pound, won the round for Levy, after a bit of a shakey start on the feet. In the second, Levy showed some power in his kicks before pursuing a takedown — but after being rocked, Santana managed to take Levy’s back while standing, locking in a body triangle. Santana transitioned to an arm-bar, but Levy was out quickly enough, leaving him on top once again. In the third round, Levy finally sealed the deal. Once again on top, he locked in an arm-triangle choke, and put Santana to sleep!

Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz landed an early takedown against Brazil’s Mario Sousa in the featured fight of DWCS 35. The Canadian middleweight stayed tight to his opponent. But soon enough, Sousa had scrambled and landed on top. Sousa landed some heavy shots. Ksiazkiewicz threatened with an arm-bar and escaped. Moments later, Ksiazkiewicz found himself in a guillotine, but wasn’t in any danger and ended the round on top — only to eat a late elbow from the bottom by Sousa, who quickly apologized. Sousa came out firing in the second, tagging Ksiazkiewicz and landing a knee to the midsection. “The Iron Pol” punched his way out of trouble, then landed a takedown. From there Ksiazkiewicz moved to side control. He tried for a D’arce, wound up victim of an illegal upkick that was luckily a glancing blow, and once again finished the round on top. The problem being, when Sousa did connect, he landed the bigger shots. Knowing this, Ksiazkiewicz took the fight down early in the third. He had the position taken away when the ref stood things back up, but Ksiazkiewicz landed another takedown almost immediately. Narrowly avoiding an upkick, Ksiazkiewicz worked for a heel hook in the final minute, but gave up position in the final seconds, eating a flurry of strikes before regaining top position.

Dana White’s Contender Series Season 4, Week 9 Results

Mário Sousa def. Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Natan Levy def. Shaheen Santana by technical submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 3, 0:55
Nikolas Motta def. Joe Lowry by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Luana Pinheiro def. Stephanie Frausto by knockout, Round 1, 2:48
Danny Sabatello def. Taylor Moore by unanimous decision (30-24, 30-25, 30-26)

Contracts: Launa Pinheiro, Nikolas Motta, Natan Levy

The post Dana White’s Contender Series Season 4, Week 9 Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

There’s three more great fights on top of that. Now on with the show!

Middleweight: Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz vs. Mário Sousa

Tale of the Tape

Pros and Cons

Who has the advantage?

Striking: Ksiazkiewicz
Speed: Sousa
Output/Volume: Sousa
Knockout Power: Ksiazkiewicz
Chin: Even
Kickboxing: Sousa
Footwork: Ksiazkiewicz
Wrestling: Ksiazkiewicz
Grappling: Ksiazkiewicz
Submissions: Ksiazkiewicz
Cardio: Ksiazkiewicz

Prediction

There isn’t a lot of footage out there on Canada’s Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz. With that said, the footage that exists of Mario Sousa shows that he has a number of holes to fill.

Where Ksiazkiewicz should be able to find success with his wrestling and grappling. Sousa has been taken down easily by lesser fighters and even though he is dangerous off his back, his BJJ doesn’t rate that high. On the other hand, the jiu-jitsu of Ksiazkiewicz (who has his black belt) comes with stronger control and finishing ability. Sousa is a threat with how aggressive he starts fights, and he likely has the speed advantage. Still, my slightly less than confident pick has me siding with the bigger and stronger Ksiazkiewicz.

Be sure to check out our full interview with Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz ahead of DWCS 2020 Week 9 as well!

The post DWCS 2020 Week 9 Breakdown and Predictions appeared first on Cageside Press.

“So around December … my manager messaged me that he was in talks about getting me on Contender Series,” Ksiazkiewicz told Cagesie Press. “They were planning on having it in the spring. We signed the contract way back in February, actually, for Contenders. And I guess in February, they changed it for the summer. So originally my fight was supposed to be July 14, I believe, and then got pushed back to September 29. And, you know, here we are training for November 10. So it’s been like a nine-month camp.”

Ksiazkiewicz (8-0) last fought in November 2019 when he submitted Guilherme Miranda in the first round at Teofista: Fight For The Troops. It was the seventh stoppage victory in eight career fights for the Canadian.

Sousa (11-1) is also coming off a first-round submission victory over Mauricio Queiroz at Metanoia FC 4 in Oct. 2019, which pushed the Brazilian’s winning streak to four straight. The 24-year-old’s lone career loss came in 2018 against DWCS vet Leonardo Silva at MMA Brazil Tour 1.

The Winnipeg Academy of Mixed Martial Arts product likes the style matchup, even though his opponent has a significant height advantage.

“I feel I match up really well,” Ksiazkiewicz explained. “I’ve probably been training twice as long as he has. I think the most awkward thing with Sousa is going to be his height. He’s like six foot six like that’s probably going to be the most awkward thing.”

Ksiazkiewicz looks to join TJ Laramie as just the second Canadian to win a UFC contract on DWCS. The 31-year-old expects to finish his opponent on November 10 and achieve that feat.

“Maybe there will be a little bit of a feel out process at first just to get used to his range,”  Ksiazkiewicz said. “But I feel that I’m going to figure it out really quick and you know, first, second-round finish is what I see right now.”

Dana White’s Contender 2020: Week 9 takes place November 10 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Currently, no main event has been officially announced.

The post DWCS: Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz Aims To Be Next Canadian To Win A UFC Contract appeared first on Cageside Press.