Eddie Hall is set to continue his combat sports career later this month when he takes on rival Mariusz Pudzianowski.
The two are former strongmen and are set to clash in a super-heavyweight MMA encounter.
Hall was crowned the World Strongest Man in 2017, but that is nothing compared to his opponent.
Pudzianowski claimed that honour five times throughout his career, but both men have retired from that to progress in combat sports.
Hall started off with a defeat in a boxing match against Thor Bjornsson before switching to MMA and getting the better of the Neffati Brothers, knocking them both out.
However, this will be the toughest test of his career to date, given this will be his Polish opponent’s 27th MMA contest.
Hall vs Pudzianowski: Date and how to follow
This MMA fight is set to take place on Saturday, April 26.
It is going to be held at the Prezero Arena in Gliwice, Poland.
There isn’t a confirmed start time as of yet, but it is expected the duo will be in the ring at around 9:45pm UK time.
The fight will headline the bill for KSW 105, which is the main MMA franchise in Europe.
The action is going to be shown as a pay-per-view, but there are no concrete details regarding it, but they will follow in due course.
talkSPORT will be right across the action in the build-up to fight week, and talkSPORT.com will have all the reaction as well.
The talkSPORT MMA YouTube channel will have content right up until fight night as well.
To tune in to talkSPORT through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
Hall vs Pudzianowski: Rules
After months of negotiations between the two men, it was agreed that this contest would be competed over two four-minute rounds.
It isn’t going to be a crossover event, it will be a strict MMA fight.
This means that there can be no headbutting, biting, eye-gouging, hair pulling and several other banned moves.
In terms of the rounds, Hall had wanted shorter ones, and he feels he’ll be at a disadvantage.
Speaking about the rounds, he said: “I wanted two-minute rounds. Mariusz wanted five-minute rounds, and somehow we’ve met in the middle, nowhere near the middle at four.
“I’m not too happy. I wanted the two-minute rounds because I’m so big. I’m 160 kg [352lbs].
“My fitness isn’t going to be anywhere near what Mariusz is, and I’ve never fought MMA before — and I know MMA is a lot more taxing on the body.
“Obviously, when you get that adrenaline dump, all that cardio goes out the window as well.
“So four-minute rounds is a big ask for me, but it was literally, I say yes to that or the fight is off. I had no choice.
“This is one of Mariusz’s demands, and we all know why.
“Obviously, he’s going to get the advantage in the cardio aspect, so I can’t really blame him for wanting that, but it’s definitely giving him a massive advantage going into this fight.”
Hall vs Pudzianowski: Fight card
More to come
- MAIN EVENT: Eddie Hall vs Mariusz Pudzianowski – super-heavyweight
- Adrian Bartosinski v Andrzej Grzebyk – KSW welterweight championship
- Rafal Haratyk v Ibragim Chuzhigaev – KSW light-heavyweight championship
- Artur Szpilka v Errol Zimmerman
- Igor Michaliszyn v Artur Szczepaniak
Hall vs Pudzianowski: What has been said?
After the fight was confirmed, Hall revealed his excitement at getting to take on Pudzianowski.
He said: “The fight is on. I have been talking about fighting Maruisz Pudzianowski. He is five-times World’s Strongest Man and he retired back in 2009 to become a professional MMA fighter.
“He’s had a 16-year career fighting in MMA, I think he’s had something like 27 fights and boasts a decent win, loss ratio, so he’s won more than he’s lost, which is obviously a bonus for him.
“I’ve been trying to get into MMA for quite a long time now, and obviously, the time has come. The deal landed on my lap to fight Maruisz Pudzianowski. It’s not like I’m jumping in the deep end or anything.
“I’m not having a few amateur fights, I’m going straight in and fighting one of the best in the world, somebody who is a dangerous, dangerous man.”
