Mamed Khalidov meets Mariusz Pudzianowski are set for a battle of legends.
KSW announced Wednesday that Khalidov and Pudzianowski will fight in a heavyweight bout at KSW 77, which takes place at Arena Gliwice in Gliwice, Poland, on Dec. 17. This matchup pits two of the Polish promotion’s most famous fighters against one another.
Watch the trailer for the bout here.
Two Stars. Two Legends. Two Icons.
XTB KSW 77 | December 17 | #Gliwice pic.twitter.com/hCaM2OKAOF
— KSW (@KSW_MMA) October 5, 2022
Khalidov (36-8-2) is a former two-division KSW champion, having held titles at middleweight and light heavyweight. The 42-year-old was KSW’s inaugural champion at 205 pounds and has twice won the 185-pound belt. He went on a 15-fight unbeaten streak from 2010-2017 and is renowned for his finishing ability and thrilling back-and-forth battles. In his most recent title defense this past December, Khalidov suffered a devastating knockout loss to Roberto Soldic.
One thing Khalidov has not done in KSW is compete at heavyweight, which is the division where Pudzianowski, 45, has long reigned as the division’s biggest star. The five-time World’s Strongest Man winner holds a 17-7 (1 NC) record since making his pro MMA debut in 2009 and is currently on a five-fight win streak with back-to-back first-round finishes in his past two fights.
In the co-main event, bantamweight champion Sebastian Przybysz (10-2) defends his title against Jakub Wiklacz (13-3-1) in a trilogy bout. The series is currently tied at 1-1, with Przybysz having won the most recent encounter at KSW 53 by third-round knockout.
