Definitive proof that technique, even if it’s only minimal, trumps strength in MMA.
If you watched Eurosport in the early noughties, you’ll probably recognise the name Mariusz Pudzianowski.
The Polish freak of nature was a superstar of the World’s Strongest Man Circuit. During his tenure in the sport, he picked up a world-record five world championships solidifying his position as the greatest to ever compete at the glorified freak show.
In 2009, Pudzianowski traded the farmers walk for the cage as he tried to make it as an MMA fighter. He became an instant star in Polish promotion KSW and after getting annihilated by former UFC champion Tim Sylvia, he went on to amass a respectable 9-3-1 record.
However, he added another one to his loss column at the KSW event in Wembley on Halloween. An exhausted Pudzianowski was handed an absolute ass-whooping at the hands of Aussie fighter Peter Graham, who had won just once in his last five bouts before facing the Polish fighter.
Graham finished the fight with a barrage of ground and pound and kept pummelling his opponent until he tapped out.