In the main event, Marian Ziółkowski put his title on the line against his toughest test to date as champ — former welterweight title holder Borys Mańkowski. Since dropping down to 155lbs, Mańkowski had been perfect, and was looking to claim a second KSW title in his new weight class.

In the co-main event, meanwhile, Tomasz Narkun put his light heavyweight title on the line against promotional newcomer Ibragim Chuzhigaev. Russia’s Chuzhigaev, a veteran of ACA/ACB and other promotions, rode a six-fight winning streak into the event.

KSW 66 goes down live on Saturday, January 15 at the Netto Arena in Szczecin, Poland. The event streams live via KSW.tv starting at 1PM ET. Full results can be found below.

KSW 66: Ziółkowski vs. Mańkowski Results

Marian Ziółkowski (c) def. Borys Mańkowski by unanimous decision – For the KSW Lightweight Championship
Ibragim Chuzhigaev def. Tomasz Narkun (c) by unanimous decision – For the KSW Light Heavyweight Championship
Michał Materla def. Jason Radcliffe by TKO, Round 1, 4:07
Krystian Kaszubowski def. Tomasz Romanowski by unanimous decision
Sebastian Rajewski def. Niklas Bäckström by unanimous decision
Wojciech Janusz def. Przemysław Dzwoniarek by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:04
Donovan Desmae def. Łukasz Rajewski by submission (triangle arm-bar), Round 2, 4:07
Gracjan Szadziński def. Francesco Moricca by KO, Round 2, 1:58
Kacper Koziorzębski def. Hubert Szymajda by unanimous decision
Patryk Surdyn def. Dawid Martinik by unanimous decision

The post KSW 66: Ziółkowski vs. Mańkowski Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Lightweight champion Marian Ziolkowski and challenger/former welterweight champ Borys Mankowski both made weight for their main event title fight. So too did co-headliners Tomasz Narkun and Ibragim Chuzhigaev. That fight will see Narkun defending his light heavyweight title.

The change to the card, meanwhile, comes as Tomasz Romanowski was forced out of his fight due to medical reasons. KSW officials announced the development in a press release on Friday. Stepping in for Romanowski against Krystian Kaszubowski (9-2) will be Robert Maciejowski (5-3-1).

KSW 66, the first event of the year for the Polish promotion, takes place tomorrow, January 15, 2022 in Szczecin, Poland. The card airs live on KSWTV.com.

KSW 66 Weigh-In Results

Main Event
KSW Lightweight Title
Champion Marian Ziolkowski (70.2 kg/155 lb) vs. Borys Mankowski (70.2 kg/155 lb)

Co-Main Event
KSW Light Heavyweight Title
Champion Tomasz Narkun (94 kg/205 lb) vs. Ibragim Chuzhigaev (92.5 kg/204lb)

Middleweight
Michal Materla (84.4 kg/186 lb) vs. Jason Radcliffe (84.2 kg/186 lb)

Middleweight
Krystian Kaszubowski (78.3 kg/173 lb) vs. Robert Maciejowski (83 kg/183 lb)

Lightweight
Sebastian Rajewski (70.6 kg/156 lb) vs. Niklas Bäckström (70.7 kg/156 lb)

98 kg Catchweight
Wojciech Janusz (97.6 kg/215 lb) vs. Damian Skarżyński (97.3 kg/214 lb)

Lightweight
Lukasz Rajewski (70.7 kg/156 lb) vs. Donovan Desmae (70.4 kg/155 lb)

73 kg Catchweight
Gracjan Szadzinski (72.9 kg/161 lb) vs. Francesco Moricca (72.5 kg/160 lb)

Welterweight
Kacper Koziorzebski (77.6 kg/171 lb) vs. Hubert Szymajda (77 kg/170 lb)

Bantamweight
Patryk Surdyn (61.5 kg/136 lb) vs. David Martinik (61.3 kg/135 lb)

The post Title Fights Official for KSW 66, One Fighter Replaced appeared first on Cageside Press.

KSW 66 will take place on Saturday, January 15, 2022 in Szczecin, Poland. KSW officials announced the news over the holidays, with several fights already added to the event. Among them will be a lightweight championship bout, with Marian Ziolkowski (23-8-1, 1NC) putting his belt on the line against former KSW welterweight champion Borys Mankowski (22-8-1).

Ziolkowski has won both his fights since losing a title shot against current UFC star Mateusz Gamrot in August 2020. After Gamrot vacated the KSW lightweight championship, Ziolkowski won the strap by stopping Roman Szymański with a body kick later that year. He made his first title defense back in April, submitting Maciej Kazieczko.

Mankowski is well known for his battles with former UFC fighter Norman Parke, middleweight champ Mamed Khalidov, current welterweight champ Roberto Soldic, and UFC/TUF veteran Jesse Taylor, among others. He’s won his past three fights, though his only action in 2021 came in a boxing match with rival Parke, which Mankowski won via unanimous decision.

The other title fight expected for the KSW 66 card will see Tomasz Narkun put his light heavyweight title on the line against Ibragim Chuzhigaev. While KSW has yet to officially announce the match-up, they had previously advertised Narkun as part of the card. Sherdog was first to report news of his opponent.

Narkun (18-4) will enter the fight off a failed bid to capture a second title at heavyweight. He fell short against Phil De Fries, ending up knocked out in the second round of their fight at KSW 60. Prior to that defeat, Narkun had won two straight.

Ibragim Chuzhigaev (15-5) previously competed for ACA/ACB, and will be making his promotional debut in the fight. He’s won his past six bouts.

Also announced for KSW 66 on January 15 is a welterweight showdown between Tomasz Romanowski (14-8) and Krystian Kaszubowski (9-2). Both veterans of the KSW cage, Romanowski is 5-1 dating back to March of 2020, with his lone loss coming to recent title challenger Patrik Kincl. Kaszubowski, is 1-1 since 2020, will be looking to bounce back from a loss to Michal Pietrzak.

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Challenger Tomasz Narkun, by comparison, had his game face on ahead of the main event on Saturday. He was throwing heavy early, going right at the champ. But after some early success, even getting on top in a scramble when the pair went to the ground, De Fries gained the upper hand. If only briefly, since as he got on top, Narkun latched on with a heel hook. That would halt De Fries’ progress for a moment, but the new-look champ — slimmer, in arguably the best shape of his career — escaped, moved to half guard, and began dropping elbows.

When Narkun escaped up, De Fries used a guillotine and knees to force him back down. By the end of the round, the Polish fighter was exhausted. It went from bad to worse in the second for Narkun, as De Fries landed a double-leg takedown early. He moved to mount, albeit hampered by an awkward position against the cage. Though Narkun escaped, he was soon trapped again, arms tied up while De Fries dropped ground n’ pound. Narkun ate dozens of unanswered strikes, though they weren’t heavy enough to warrant a stoppage initially. Still, with Narkun trapped, the ref would eventually wave it off.

The heavyweight champion 🇬🇧 @phildefriesmma retains his title!! Becomes the first person to finish Tomasz Narkun in KSW!! #KSW60 pic.twitter.com/kkxsN3mnFU

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) April 24, 2021

The only thing Phil De Fries had not done in his first fight with Tomasz Narkun was beat the light heavyweight champ. In the rematch, two years later, he removed any doubt, stopping the action within two rounds.

Official Result: Phil De Fries def. Tomasz Narkun by TKO, Round 2, 3:37

The post KSW 60: Phil De Fries Beats Tomasz Narkun Again, Earns TKO Finish appeared first on Cageside Press.

Two years after their initial meeting, heavyweight champ Phil De Fries and Tomasz Narkun were set to meet again. When Narkun, KSW’s light heavyweight champion, made the move up to heavyweight in 2019, it was De Fries successfully turning the Polish fighter away. This time out, he was looking to finish, and defend his title once again in the process.

In the co-main event, another title was on the line. Marian Ziółkowski had won the vacant championship in his last outing. Saturday, he was set for his first title defense, against challenger Maciej Kazieczko.

The action kicks off at 2PM ET, with the official stream available via KSW TV and Fite.tv as well. Full results from Saturday’s KSW 60 card can be found below.

KSW 60: De Fries vs. Narkun Results

Phil De Fries (c) def. Tomasz Narkun by TKO, Round 2, 3:37- for the KSW heavyweight championship
Marian Ziółkowski (c) def. Maciej Kazieczko by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 4:25 – for the KSW lightweight championship
Marek Samociuk def. Izu Ugonoh by TKO, Round 2, 0:27
Patryk Kaczmarczyk def. Michał Sobiech by unanimous decision
Aleksandar Ilić def. Adrian Dudek by TKO, Round 1, 3:44
Vojto Barborik  def. Krzysztof Klaczek by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 2:28
Karolina Wójcik def. Aleksandra Rola by unanimous decision
Ion Surdu def. Kacper Koziorzębski by knockout (head kick), Round 1, 2:18
Jakub Wikłacz def. Patryk Surdyn by unanimous decision

The post KSW 60: De Fries vs. Narkun Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Tuesday, KSW officials announced via press release that heavyweight champion Phil De Fries (19-6) would defend his title in the main event of KSW 60 against light heavyweight kingpin Tomasz Narkun (18-3).

The bout will be a rematch, as De Fries went five rounds with Narkun in 2019 at KSW 47, retaining his title via unanimous decision. It was the second title defense of the British fighter’s current reign. Currently on the best run of his career, De Fries won the Polish promotion’s heavyweight crown back in 2018 against Michał Andryszak. He has subsequently defended the belt four times. Overall, De Fries has won seven straight.

Earlier in his career, the now 34-year old competed in the UFC, where he posted a 2-3 record. He was released in 2013 off a knockout loss to Matt Mitrione.

Narkun has held light heavyweight gold in KSW since 2015. He previously competed for M-1, before rising to the top in his native Poland. Since losing their first match in 2018, Narkun has won both his fights, defending his 205lb title against Przemysław Mysiala and Ivan Erslan. Both fights ended via submission.

Additional bouts announced for KSW 60 on April 24 include:

Izu Ugonoh (1-0) vs. Thomas ‘The Last Viking’ Narmo (4-0)
Vojto Barbara (12-1) vs. Krzysztof Klaczek (12-6)

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In the main event, former KSW middleweight champion Michael Materla of Poland looked to prevent Croatia’s Roberto Soldic from establishing himself at a second weight class. No title was on the line, but as KSW’s reigning welterweight champion, a win over Materla could lead to a double-champ opportunity for Soldic.

The co-main event, meanwhile, saw light heavyweight gold on the line, as Tomasz Narkun, representing Poland, faced undefeated Croatian challenger Ivan Erslan.

To round out the Poland vs. Croatia format, a 150lb catchweight bout saw Poland’s Sebastian Rajewski face off with Croatian Filip Pejić. Argentinian-born Croatian Francisco Barrio, meanwhile, fought Mateusz Legierski.

Also featured on the KSW 56 card was German PFL veteran Max Coga, taking on Brazilian Daniel Torres.

Full results from KSW 56, which kicks off at 2PM ET, can be found below. Head on over to KSWTV.com to watch all the action.

KSW 56: Poland vs. Croatia Results

Roberto Soldić def. Michał Materla by TKO, Round 1, 4:40  – Middleweight main event
Tomasz Narkun (c) def. Ivan Erslan by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 0:51 – For the KSW Lightheavyweight Championship
Justyna Haba def. Karolina Owczarz by unanimous decision
Marius Zaromskis def. Andrzej Grzebyk by TKO (leg injury), Round 1, 4:58
Mateusz Legierski def. Francisco Barrio by majority decision
Filip Pejić def. Sebastian Rajewski by knockout, Round 1, 0:12
Daniel Torres def. Max Coga by split decision
Robert Ruchała def. Michał Domin by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 4:59

The post KSW 56: Poland vs. Croatia Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Wednesday, the Polish promotion announced via press release that 205lb champ Tomas Narkun (17-3) would defend his title against undefeated Croatian fighter Ivan Erslan (9-0, 1NC) at the event. MMA Fighting had previously reported the pairing.

The 30-year old Narkun has held the promotion’s light heavyweight title since 2015, and defended it five times. Among his wins are notable victories over Goran Reljic, Sokoudjou, Przemysław Mysiala, and back-to-back wins over Mamed Khalidov. Narkun’s only loss since 2015 came up a weight class, when he attempted to become a double champ by challenging Phil De Fries for KSW’s heavyweight belt.

Erslan, meanwhile, is the most recent Croatian fighter looking to make it big in KSW. A member of ATT Zagreb, he made his promotional debut at KSW 51 last year, defeating Darwin Rodriguez by knockout. Six of Ivan Erslan’s nine professional victories have come via stoppage.

KSW 56 is expected to take place on Saturday, November 14 in Lodz, Poland. The card’s main event is set to feature welterweight champion Roberto Soldic moving up a division to take on veteran Michal Materla in a non-title middleweight bout. The event will stream live on KSW TV. More fights are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

The post KSW 56 Co-Main Event Sees Tomasz Narkun Face Undefeated Ivan Erslan appeared first on Cageside Press.

Soldic (17-3) is a multi-time and current welterweight champion in the promotion. The Croatian fighter last competed at KSW 50 in London, England in September 2019, defeating Michał Pietrzak for the second defense of his 170lb title. Soldic’s only loss since 2016 came when he lost his title to Dricus Du Plessis, a loss he’d later avenge in an instant rematch.

Du Plessis recently debuted with the UFC.

No opponent for Soldic has been announced for KSW 56, though it is expected one will be named in the coming weeks. The same situation applies to Tomasz Narkun. Also sporting a 17-3 record, the light heavyweight champ hasn’t been seen since the London card either, where he successfully defended his belt against Przemysław Mysiala.

In addition to Narkun and Soldic, Karolina Owczarz (3-0) has also been announced for the event. A former pro boxer and reality TV star, the flyweight is a training partner of UFC strawweight Karolina Kowalkiewicz.

KSW 56 is expected to take place November 14. The card will stream live via KSWTV.

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KSW 50 went down Saturday at the SSE Arena at Wembley in London, England. The Polish promotion’s historic 50th event was to feature four title fights, but that was scaled back to three after an injury to middleweight champ Roberto Soldic’s originally scheduled opponent.

As a result, Michal Pietrzak stepped up on short notice for a catchweight bout, meaning the title would not be on the line.

Three other titles would be, however. Phil De Fries was set to make another defense of his heavyweight title, against fellow ex-UFC athlete Luis Henrique. Tomasz Narkun, who recently tried and failed to get the better of De Fries for a second title, was scheduled to defend his light heavyweight title against Przemyslaw Mysiala. And Norman Parke was ready to storm the cage against Marcin Wrzosek for an interim lightweight title.

Check below for results from today’s event!

KSW 50: London Results:

Heavyweight: Phil De Fries (c) def. Luis Henrique by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 47-48) – For the KSW Heavyweight Championship
Light Heavyweight: Tomasz Narkun (c) def. Przemyslaw Mysiala by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 4:03 – For the KSW Light Heavyweight Championship
Catchweight (80kg): Roberto Soldić (c) def. Michal Pietrzak via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Lightweight: Norman Parke def. Marcin Wrzosek via split decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) – For the Interim KSW Lightweight Championship
Middleweight: Damian Janikowski def. Tony Giles via submission (punches), round 1, 1:24
Middleweight: Jason Radcliffe def. Antoni Chmielewski via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Middleweight: Dricus Du Plessis def. Joilton Santos via TKO (punches), Round 2, 3:04
Strawweight: Aleksandra Rola def. Catherine Costigan via TKO (punches), Round 2, 0:50

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