Eddie Hall achieved a spectacular and unexpected victory against Mariusz Pudzianowski in his first professional mixed martial arts bout.
The British fighter faced off against the fellow World`s Strongest Man champion during the action-packed KSW 105 event held in Poland on Saturday evening.
Hall, aged 37, was considered a significant underdog before the fight, having only previously competed twice – once in a boxing match against Hafthor Bjornsson and in an unusual 2-on-1 contest against the Neffati brothers.
However, `The Beast` triumphed over Pudzianowski`s extensive 16 years of fighting experience to secure victory in the massive showdown in Gliwice.
He accomplished this in a devastating manner, needing only 30 seconds to knock out his opponent.
Hall injured Pudzianowski with a powerful straight right hand after pushing the Polish veteran against the cage.
Pudzianowski became unsteady and instantly attempted a takedown, which Hall defended successfully to prevent further powerful strikes.
Hall ended up in a dominant top position and began raining heavy punches down on a downed Pudzianowski.
Subsequently, the referee mercifully stopped the fight.
Hall, new to MMA, candidly admitted he felt apprehensive about stepping into the cage with the experienced KSW fighter Pudzianowski.
He stated: “If you don`t feel fear or nervousness, then something isn`t right.
“Let`s be honest, I was facing Mariusz Pudzianowski, who has 26 professional fights and is a five-time World`s Strongest Man.
“He is an incredibly fierce individual, and the prospect of entering the cage to trade blows with someone who`s had 26 fights… whereas I`ve only had one!
“So I certainly had plenty to be apprehensive about, and the four-minute rounds were also difficult for me to come to terms with.
“He possesses many advantages, but I decided, `Screw it. Why not let him have four-minute rounds? Let`s just get this over with.`”
Hall underwent a significant physical transformation leading up to the fight, losing 45 kilograms.
He abandoned his well-known 12,000-calorie daily diet to weigh in at 150kg – a stark contrast to his weight of 195kg during his strongman career.
This victory in MMA signifies that he has succeeded in achieving what he could not in boxing.
Hall was defeated in his boxing debut by another strongman, Hafþór Björnsson, also known as Thor.
