Following KSW 105, Mariusz Pudzianowski continues to address his critics.
The five-time World’s Strongest Man suffered a surprising 30-second TKO defeat against Eddie Hall at the PreZero Arena in Gliwice, Poland, last Saturday night.
Immediately after the fight, Mariusz Pudzianowski began complaining about receiving illegal punches to the back of the head. His 334lb opponent quickly apologized for this during a backstage media scrum following his successful MMA debut.
Since then, the 48-year-old fighter has been frequently posting on social media regarding his third consecutive loss.
Pudzianowski Addresses Tapping Out Allegations
On Monday, Pudzianowski responded to criticism from KSW matchmaker Wojslaw Rysiewski concerning his performance. It`s estimated that Pudzianowski earned between 1.5 and 2 million Polish złoty ($400,000 to $530,000) for the bout.
Just 24 hours later, the veteran of 28 MMA fights addressed the claims that he tapped out from Hall`s strikes.
Pudzianowski shared cageside video footage from his recent fight, captioning it: “Let the experts see this.”
He continued, “I don’t resent Eddie Hall – The Beast – at all, because there’s excitement in fighting and all that. But I`ll invite any gentleman who talks about tapping out and give him four backhand strikes and ask him if he knows where he is! Let the experts see it for themselves.”
“Eddie did what he did, it was his first time in the cage – he won, okay, he was better! But where was the referee? … A 150kg guy was hitting me… until I got to my knees.”
What`s Next for Pudzianowski?
Ahead of his ‘World’s Strongest Fight’ against Hall, Pudzianowski had already admitted he was nearing retirement from MMA.
He had stated, “I`m nearing the end of my career, the end of this episode called ‘sport,’ and at some point, I will have to start a normal life.”
“I`m certainly going to keep training, but no longer as a professional athlete. We`ll see what happens next.”
When Hall suggested a rematch during his post-fight interview, Pudzianowski again hinted at retirement.
He admitted, “I`m not thinking about the future.”
“I turned 48, almost 49. This sport is for young people.”
“What`s next? I don`t know.”
