Tag: KSW 52

KSW 52 results: Scott Askham outbattles Mamed Khalidov to unanimous decision

KSW middleweight champion Scott Askham outbattled returning legend Mamed Khalidov to earn a unanimous decision at KSW 52 in Gliwice, Poland.

It wasn’t the spectacular clash some had expected, but KSW middleweight champion [autotag]Scott Askham[/autotag] proved that he is much more than just a power striker on Saturday night, as he outfought and outgrappled returning legend [autotag]Mamed Khalidov[/autotag] in the main event of KSW 52.

Khalidov (34-7-2 MMA, 17-3-2 KSW) returned from retirement in a bid to defeat Askham (19-4 MMA, 4-0 KSW) in their three-round non-title bout in Gliwice, Poland and put himself firmly in the frame for more huge fights in 2020. But he came up against a more well-rounded fighter than he perhaps expected, as the Brit nullified the Chechen-born Pole’s submission threat and dominated from the top position throughout a grueling three-round battle.

Former middleweight champ Khalidov was successful in avoiding Askham’s most damaging strikes as he made a concerted effort to step inside the Brit’s much-vaunted body kicks and initiate the clinch before moving to a takedown. While he was successful in getting Askham to the mat early in the fight, the reigning middleweight champion showed smart submission defense, and was far from shy when it came to engaging Khalidov on the ground.

In the end, Askham’s all-around MMA game proved just too strong for the returning hero, as he claimed the unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards.

Also on the main card, rising French star [autotag]Salahdine Parnasse[/autotag] showcased his slick striking and nerveless temperament as he defeated former Cage Warriors lightweight title challenger [autotag]Ivan Buchinger[/autotag] and retained his KSW featherweight title after five dominant rounds.

After a punch-perfect opening round from Parnasse (14-0-1 MMA, 5-0 KSW), Buchinger (37-2 MMA, 0-1 KSW) bit down on his mouthpiece and met the Frenchman in the center of the cage more frequently in the second. But Parnasse continued to hold all the aces, both at range and in the clinch.

Despite finding himself on the wrong end of his opponent’s striking game, Buchinger nearly grabbed a shock submission in Round 3 as he locked up a modified guillotine, but Parnasse kept his cool and worked his way free.

And Parnasse completed his masterful performance as he busted up Buchinger’s face with his snapping jab and slick southpaw left throughout the championship rounds as he cruised to a landslide decision victory on the scorecards.

The event was promotionally branded “The Race” and the finishes came fast and furious elsewhere on the card, with the other seven matchups on the slate delivering six KOs and one submission. But the big winners were the two men whose hands were raised after going the distance, as KSW champions Askham and Parnasse finished 2019 on a high.

KSW 52 official results include:

  • Scott Askham def. Mamed Khalidov via unanimous decision
  • Szymon Kolecki def. Damian Janikowski via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:03
  • Salahdine Parnasse def. Ivan Buchinger via unanimous decision
  • Shamil Musaev def. Grzegorz Szulakowski via KO (spinning backfist) – Round 1, 1:17
  • Karolina Owczarz def. Aleksandra Rola via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 4:35
  • Artur Sowinzki def. Vinicius Bohrer via KO (head kick and punches) – Round 1, 0:52
  • Michal Michalski def. Albert Odzimkowski via KO (punches) – Round 1, 4:31
  • Maciej Kazeiczko def. Michael Dubois via KO (punch) – Round 1, 0:24
  • Michal Wlodarek def. Srdan Marovic via KO (punches) – Round 1, 0:34

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KSW champ Scott Askham wants to welcome Mamed Khalidov back to cage with KO

But why aren’t they fighting for the title?

KSW middleweight champion [autotag]Scott Askham[/autotag] knew he would be in [autotag]Mamed Khalidov[/autotag]’s sights as soon as the Polish MMA star announced his return from retirement, but he admits he was left bewildered when their fight at KSW 52 was booked as a non-title fight, at a catchweight of 187 pounds.

“We all know he’s the (expletive) guy,” Askham told MMA Junkie from Gliwice ahead of the bout on Dec. 7. “So we all know that if he wanted to fight for the title, we’d be fighting for the title. He’s the star, he’s the legend, so why is he coming back but not challenging me for the title? It’s a great question, and it’s a question that baffles me, as well.”

Askham (18-4 MMA, 3-0 KSW) said he was all set to take issue with Khalidov (34-6-2 MMA, 17-2-2 KSW) and call him out on his apparent unwillingness to challenge for the title when they met at the first promotional press conference to announce the fight. But he admitted that Khalidov’s respectful attitude completely disarmed him while on the dais.

“When the Polish media asked him about it at the first press conference, he answered the question in a way that was so respectful towards me that I couldn’t really go back at him and call BS on it,” Askham said with a laugh. “It is what it is. I’ve got the fight I wanted.”

The fight itself pits current 185-pound champ Askham with arguably the best middleweight in KSW history. And while Askham’s record since joining the Polish promotion is spectacular – three knockouts, with two via body kick and one via flying knee – he says it’s Khalidov’s fear of being dragged into the championship rounds that led him to sign for a non-title fight at just two pounds higher than official championship weight.

“It’s a three-round fight – that’s the reason it’s not for the belt,” Askham explained. That’s 100 percent the reason why he’s not fighting for the belt – it’s because he didn’t want the five rounds. Everyone who watches Mamed knows he doesn’t have a five-round style. He fades in the later rounds.”

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Askham, meanwhile, has no such concerns. He hasn’t seen a scorecard since joining KSW, and says his latest run of knockout finishes has been a direct result of his decision to base his training out of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla.

“Since joining American Top Team I just feel like I keep leveling up and leveling up,” he explained. “Steve Bruno, my striking coach, has made me a completely different striker now. I used to be a counter striker, and although I knocked some people out, when I didn’t finish people I didn’t win too many rounds. Now I’m a different striker altogether. I’m taking people out through confidence and precision striking. I’m landing the strikes in the right places and they’re taking people out.”

With his striking weapons sharpened and the confidence of a man who is now fulfilling his fighting potential, Askham says he’s ready to take on Khalidov and cement his position as the premier 185 pounder in KSW. But while the media and fans in Poland have put Khalidov up on a pedestal, Askham sees him as just another challenge.

“I keep seeing all over social media: ‘legend’ this, ‘legend’ that, ‘a legend returns’, ‘Scott fights a legend.’ But I don’t get caught up in all that stuff. He’s just Mamed Khalidov to me – he’s not a legend in my eyes. I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way. He’s just in the way of what I’m trying to do for myself. I’m going in there with the right mentality. He’ll get my respect coming into the fight, but when that cage door shuts, I’ll be more than ready for him.”

And for a man who admits he thrives when fighting on enemy territory, Askham says he would love nothing more than to finish his final fight of the year standing in the middle of the cage staring out at a silenced Gliwice crowd after handing Khalidov his first knockout loss in a decade and a half.

“That would be icing on the cake for this year,” he said. “I looked at his record and he hasn’t been knocked TKO’d since 2004, but I’m not one of those guys who’s going to say: ‘Yeah, I’m gonna knock him out!’ Of course, I’m always looking to knock people out, I look to land my strikes and the knockouts just come. But this is the goal. The first goal is to get the win, but the dream is to knock him out.”

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Bodysnatcher Scott Askham books liver transplant for Mamed Khalidov ahead of KSW 52

Scott Askham cranks up the psychological warfare ahead of his bout with Mamed Khalidov at KSW 52… by booking his opponent in for a liver transplant after the fight.

KSW middleweight champion [autotag]Scott Askham[/autotag] is as down-to-earth as they come. The Yorkshire-based Brit has always been confident in his abilities, but has stayed modest and respectful throughout his career as he fought his way into the UFC, then to the KSW middleweight title.

But now, ahead of arguably the biggest fight of his career, Askham has decided to engage in a little psychological warfare.

Askham is set to take on returning KSW legend [autotag]Mamed Khalidov[/autotag] in the non-title main event of KSW 52 in Gliwice, Poland, on Dec. 7. And, just a few days out from the matchup, he headed to the local hospital to ensure all of the medical arrangements were in place – not for him, but for his opponent.

In the video above, posted by KSW, Askham asks if he can book Khalidov in for a liver transplant immediately after their matchup. The choice of operation is no accident. Askham has finished all three of his opponents in KSW by knockout, with the first two coming by way of thumping body-kicks. His ability to locate his opponents’ liver with his left leg has made him KSW’s resident middleweight bodysnatcher, and he clearly fancies his chances of completing a body-kick KO hat-trick against Khalidov.

The matchup pits newly-crowned middleweight champ Askham with the returning former 185-pound king Khalidov in arguably the biggest European middleweight fight this year.

And with Askham clearly far from overawed at the prospect of facing one of the most dominant fighters in KSW history, their matchup should make for must-see TV on Dec. 7.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

KSW 52: Scott Askham and Mamed Khalidov go ‘Fast and Furious’ ahead of main event clash

Mamed Khalidov returns from retirement in a bid to win back his old middleweight title as he challenges Scott Askham at KSW 52 in Poland.

Saturday sees one of the most eagerly-anticipated fights in recent Polish MMA history when the country’s favorite fighting son, [autotag]Mamed Khalidov[/autotag], returns from retirement in a bid to defeat the man who has taken over his mantle at the top of KSW’s middleweight division.

Khalidov (34-6-2 MMA, 17-2-2 KSW) was rated by some analysts as the best middleweight outside the UFC during his six-year, 14-fight undefeated streak between 2011 and 2017. But his catchweight champion-vs.-champion matchups against light heavyweight belt-holder Tomasz Narkun in 2018 ended with back-to-back defeats as he suffered his first losses since 2010.

After his second defeat, Khalidov – who had already vacated his middleweight title earlier that summer – shocked his fans, and the MMA world, by laying his gloves down inside the cage and announcing his retirement from the sport. It saw one of the biggest stars in Polish MMA history walk away from the sport while still in his prime.

But Khalidov soon had second thoughts after seeing the reaction of his family, who were as shocked as the rest of the MMA world at his sudden decision to quit, and he started preparing for a comeback.

That comeback takes place Saturday in Gliwice, Poland, where he’ll take on the man who replaced him at the top of KSW’s middleweight division. Britain’s [autotag]Scott Askham[/autotag] has been in the best form of his career since signing for the Polish promotion back in early 2018, and last time out captured the vacant KSW middleweight title.

A pair of crushing first-round body-kick finishes saw Askham (18-4 MMA, 3-0 KSW) make a spectacular impact in his first two appearances for the promotion as he finished former middleweight champion Michal Materla and former light heavyweight title challenger Marcin Wojcik in impressive fashion.

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And when the Doncaster man finished Materla again – this time with a spectacular third-round flying knee – at KSW 49, Askham was crowned the KSW middleweight champion.

Now the English finisher will welcome former champion Khalidov back to the KSW cage in a non-title 187-pound catchweight clash at KSW 52. The event will be streamed live worldwide via online pay-per-view on KSWTV.com.

KSW likes to give each of their shows its own identity and the promotion has branded the upcoming event “The Race” and adopted a “Fast and the Furious” street-racing theme. The promotional video ahead of the middleweight title clash featured Askham and Khalidov revving the engines of a pair of supercars, while footage of their in-cage handiwork shows how they came to be matched up in Gliwice.

“If Khalidov vs Materla was the fight of the decade, then Khalidov vs. Askham has to be the fight of the century,”KSW co-founder Martin Lewandowski said, while defending champ Askham admitted that the fight is undoubtedly one of the biggest of his career.

“Mamed’s probably the second best middleweight of all time in Europe (and) people are talking (about this being) the best fight in Europe, ever. They’re great conversations to be in,” he said. “I can fill his shoes, 100 percent.”

“He cannot fill my shoes as his feet are too small,” said Khalidov in response. “Everybody writes his own history. I feel I’ve already left my mark. That’s my history and he can’t take it away from me.”

With 30 of his 34 career wins coming inside the distance, Khalidov is as dangerous a finisher as you’ll find at 185 pounds, while Askham (14 finishes from 18 wins) has a formidable finish rate of his own, and hasn’t troubled the judges since joining KSW.

It all adds up to a fascinating clash between two of the best middleweights in Europe, and the reigning champion warned to expect fireworks on Saturday night.

“It’s time to make a statement,” said Askham. “I know I can put anyone away with the body kick, and he can put anyone away with the right hand. Be prepared for everything.”

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The KSW 52 fight card includes:

  • Scott Askham vs. Mamed Khalidov – non-title main event
  • Damian Janikowski vs. Szymon Kolecki
  • Champion Salahdine Parnasse vs. Ivan Buchinger – for interim featherweight title
  • Grzegorz Szulakowski vs.  Shamil Musaev
  • Karolina Owczarz vs. Aleksandra Rola
  • Artur Sowinski vs. Vinicius Bohrer
  • Michal Michalski vs. Albert Odzimkowski
  • Maciej Kazieczko vs. Michael Dubois
  • Michal Wlodarek vs. Srdan Marovic