Tag: Michal Materla

UFC alum Kendall Grove returns to MMA competition, headlines KSW 78

After nearly four years away from MMA action, former UFC fighter Kendall Grove is set to headline KSW 78 in Poland.

It’s been over three years since UFC alumnus [autotag]Kendall Grove[/autotag] last stepped into an MMA cage for competition, but that will soon change.

Grove (24-18) will headline KSW 78 in a rematch against [autotag]Michal Materla[/autotag] (31-9), the promotion officially announced Monday. The bout will be contested at a contracted weight of 195 pounds.

The card takes place Jan. 21 at Netto Arena in Szczecin, Poland and will be available for purchase on KSW TV.

The two fighters first met at KSW 23 in June 2013 when Materla defeated Grove by unanimous decision.

Grove, 40, most recently competed in MMA in August 2019. He also fought in bareknuckle boxing for BKFC in September 2020 when he was finished by Hector Lombard in 110 seconds.

Since his pro debut in 2003, Grove has competed all over the world for various major organizations. Following a stint on “The Ultimate Fighter, Season 3,” Grove competed 13 times in the UFC from 2006-2011 and compiled a 7-6 record. He then competed nine times for Bellator where he accumulated a 4-5 record.

Materla, 38, is a staple of KSW with 27 bouts and a 20-7 record for the promotion. Over the span of his most recent six outings, Materla is 4-2.

The current KSW 78 lineup includes:

  • Michal Materla vs. Kendall Grove
  • Radosław Paczuski vs. Tomasz Romanowski
  • Borys Mankowski vs. Valeriu Mircea
  • Roman Szymanski vs. Raul Tutarauli
  • Lukasz Sudolski vs. TBA
  • Marc Doussis vs. Rafal Kijanczuk
  • Raimondas Krilavicius vs. Oskar Szczepaniak

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Mariusz Pudzianowski def. Michal Materla at KSW 70: Best photos

Check out these photos from Mariusz Pudzianowski’s knockout victory over Michal Materla at KSW 70.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Mariusz Pudzianowski[/autotag]’s knockout win over [autotag]Michal Materla[/autotag] at KSW 70 at Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland. (Photos courtesy of KSW)

Video: Mariusz Pudzianowski’s scary KO leaves Michal Materla down for several minutes at KSW 70

The former World’s Strongest Man put some of that strength on showcase Saturday in Poland.

The former World’s Strongest Man put some of that strength on showcase Saturday in Poland.

[autotag]Mariusz Pudzianowski[/autotag] (17-7) took out [autotag]Michal Materla[/autotag] (31-9) in the first round with a nasty knockout that stemmed from a right uppercut. A follow-up shot on the canvas was academic, and may have contributed to an extended time on the canvas for Materla, who needed several minutes before he was back to his feet.

The heavyweight fight headlined KSW 70 at Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland. The win for Pudzianowski was his fifth straight, all of which have come by knockout. He weighed in at 256 pounds against Materla, a former middleweight who was 222.

Pudzianowski swung early and missed, and Materla followed quickly after. Just 20 seconds in, Pudzianowski landed big and had Materla starting to fall backward. But after a quick clinch, Pudzianowski let Materla reocver.

Materla got a brief break for a low blow, and on the restart Pudzianowski kicked his lead leg. A Materla punch briefly wobbled Pudzianowski, but just a couple seconds later, the fight was over in less than two minutes.

Pudzianowski drilled Materla with a right uppercut and he fell to the canvas seemingly in slow motion. A second after his head hit the mat, Pudzianowski was on him with one final hammerfist before the ref could step in.

After the initial excitement from the crowd, the arena grew mostly quiet when Materla remained on the canvas, surrounded by medical personnel. Finally, after several minutes, Materla got back to his feet to polite applause from the fans.

KSW 70 video: Mariusz Pudzianowski faces off with Michal Materla, has huge size advantage

Former World’s Strongest Man champion Mariusz Pudzianowski weighed in 34 pounds heavier than ex-middleweight Michal Materla for KSW 70.

With an off weekend in store for the major North American-based MMA organizations, the spotlight has opened up for others, including KSW.

KSW 70 goes down on Saturday in Poland, and in the main event former World’s Strongest Man champion [autotag]Mariusz Pudzianowski[/autotag] is set to return to action against [autotag]Michal Materla[/autotag] in the heavyweight headliner.

Weigh-ins for the event took place Friday, with Pudzianowski tipping the scale at 256 pounds, while Materla – who last fought at middleweight – was just 222 pounds for the contest.

After both men weighed in, Pudzianowski (16-7) and Materla (31-8) engaged in a respectful staredown, but it was fascinating to see the pair get face-to-face for the first time.

Pudzianowski, 45, is currently riding a career-best four-fight winning streak – all of which have come by knockout.

He’ll have to be precise to put hands on the smaller and more agile Materla, 38, who has won four of his past five contests.

KSW 70 takes place at Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland. The event streams via online pay-per-view on the promotion’s website for $10 U.S.