Eddie Hall is frustrated that his MMA fight with Mariusz Pudzianowski will be contested in four-minute rounds.
Hall will face a difficult task in his second-ever cage fight as he takes on former five-time World’s Strongest Man and MMA competitor Pudzianowski on April 26 in Poland.
YouTube – Brian ShawHall is not happy with the rules for his fight with Pudzianowski[/caption]
The Briton is notorious for his own strongman campaign but has launched a career in combat sports, which began with a boxing defeat to Thor Bjornsson.
He gained confidence in the cage with a KO win over the Neffati Brothers on his MMA debut last year, but will be an underdog this time out.
After months of negotiations, Hall managed to finally tie the 48-year-down to a huge fight deal.
But he isn’t entirely satisfied with the agreement, and believes his rival’s demands have given him key advantages.
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.”
Pudzianowski will be a huge favourite to beat Hall having had an extensive stint in professional MMA with 17 victories and nine defeats.
The Polish giant has lost his last two clashes against Artur Szpilka and Mamed Khalidov, and it could potentially be his final bow.
Hall will come in at an expected 330lbs which could see him struggle to compete over longer rounds.
But he too will carry big strength and power, and fans may not expect the contest to last long.
Pudzianowski has suggested exactly Hall’s worst fears, admitting he believes he can take the victory providing he weathers the early storms.
He added: “Eddie is not like some bar room brawler.
“I know what it means because I come from the same source so for the first two minutes it will be an unstoppable steam engine.
“It’s only that I still have some of this strength and I have the experience before youth and some cunning.
“So if I do not let myself be caught by a cheap trick it should be fine. But let’s not underestimate it.
“He is a heavyweight and his hands weigh a lot.”
