Eddie Hall is preparing for his professional mixed martial arts debut with advice from a UFC champion.
The British strongman is scheduled to face Mariusz Pudzianowski, a fellow former World`s Strongest Man, in the co-main event of KSW 105 in Poland next Saturday.
Hall, 37, is entering the fight as a significant underdog because Pudzianowski has over 16 years of mixed martial arts experience.
However, `The Beast` has sought guidance from interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall and his father, Andy, to develop a strategy for the fight in Katowice.
He revealed, “I’m going up to the Tom Aspinall camp regularly.
“And we are discussing what I should and shouldn’t do.”
“But I have a great coach, Gee Oakes, whose son is a European K1 kickboxing champion.
“So I’ve got good coaches at home who are giving me great advice, and we have some solid plans.
“It would be foolish of me to reveal my exact plan, but I am definitely consulting with the Aspinall camp.”
Hall`s cardiovascular fitness will face a major test when the fight begins next week.
He admits to being concerned about his stamina, saying on The Ariel Helwani Show, “I wanted two-minute rounds.
“Mariusz wanted five-minute rounds, and we ended up somewhere in between at four minutes.
Eddie Hall announces next fight against Mariusz Pudzianowski with strongman rivals weighing combined 44 STONE
“I`m not too happy about it. I wanted two-minute rounds because of my size. I`m 160 kg [352lbs].
“My fitness won`t be close to Mariusz`s, and I`ve never fought MMA before — and MMA is much more demanding on the body.
“And obviously, when adrenaline kicks in, cardio goes out the window. So four-minute rounds are a big challenge for me, but it was either agree to that or the fight was off. I had no choice.”
Hall`s combat sports background includes a boxing match with strongman Hafthor Bjornsson and a 2-on-1 MMA fight against smaller opponents.
He is understandably nervous about facing the experienced Pudzidanowski.
“I think being scared is natural,” he said. “Even in strongman competitions, you`d be scared and nervous.
“If you`re not scared or nervous, something is wrong.
“I have a lot to be scared of. Let`s be honest, I`m fighting Mariusz Pudzianowski: 26 professional fights, five-time World’s Strongest Man.
“He’s a fierce man, and I`m getting into the cage to fight a man with 26 fights under his belt? I’ve only had one!
“So, I am scared, and the four-minute rounds have been hard for me to accept.
“He has many advantages, but I thought, ‘so what?’, why not let it be four-minute rounds? Let’s just do this.”
