British strongman Eddie Hall made a devastatingly quick victory in his mixed martial arts debut in Poland, defeating fellow former World`s Strongest Man Mariusz Pudzianowski in mere seconds.
Hall held a significant weight advantage, outweighing Pudzianowski by 67 pounds (approx. 30 kg). Despite expectations that the veteran Pudzianowski`s experience might pose a challenge, Hall demonstrated impressive strength and explosive power, securing a rapid win at KSW 105.
This anticipated clash brought together two strongman legends. Following his dominant performance, Hall appears ready to pursue further challenges in his burgeoning MMA career.
The decisive victory took Hall only 28 seconds. He landed powerful shots early, visibly hurting the experienced KSW heavyweight and five-time World`s Strongest Man winner, leading to the quick stoppage.
While acknowledging that his technique may still be developing, Hall`s performance highlighted his raw power and ability to overwhelm an opponent rapidly. He quickly knocked Pudzianowski off balance with early strikes, seemingly causing significant damage.
Pudzianowski clearly felt the impact of Hall`s renowned striking power – a power tested to be higher than even elite MMA fighters like Alex Pereira and Francis Ngannou on the UFC Performance Institute`s machine. Pudzianowski struggled to recover after being hit and overcome the size difference.
When Pudzianowski attempted a takedown, Hall easily defended it, tossing his opponent aside before finishing the fight on the ground. Although Pudzianowski protested about perceived shots to the back of the head, the referee`s stoppage after less than 30 seconds was deemed fair and justified given Pudzianowski`s condition.
Hall`s only prior appearance in a combat sports setting was an unconventional 2-on-1 `freak fight` against the featherweight Neffati twins, whom he knocked out simultaneously.
Considering Pudzianowski`s decades of combat sports experience and numerous professional fights, he was widely seen as a significantly tougher challenge for Hall`s proper MMA debut.
The weigh-in highlighted the massive disparity: Hall weighed in at 151.3 kg (334 lb), making him the heaviest opponent Pudzianowski has ever faced. Pudzianowski, conversely, came in at 121.1 kg (267 lb), essentially the lower end of the super-heavyweight limit.
Interestingly, during his strongman career, Pudzianowski often weighed up to 320 lb (approx. 145 kg). He significantly reduced his weight when he transitioned to MMA, similar to the transformation Hall undertook for this fight.
