KSW 110 Preview: Grzebyk v Tulshaev

KSW heads to Rzeszów in south eastern Poland for the first time this Saturday. KSW 110 goes down in the Hala Podpromie and we will be treated to ten bouts on the night.

In the main event, Andrzej Grzebyk (22-7) will perform in front of a hometown crowd for the first time in the promotion. The 34-year-old has won four of his last five, with a defeat in a title bout to Adrian Bartosiński in April, so he’ll be looking to put a streak together to get back into contention. The Pole is a man who can talk the talk and walk the walk, and looks like a million bucks in and out of the cage. The Rzeszów man is an exquisite striker who hits like a truck. He puts combinations together well, always working the levels and looking for a finish. Thirteen of his wins have been via knockout, predominantly by using his fists to neutralise the body or smashing to the head. Muslim Tulshaev (13-3) is undefeated in KSW, earning a hat trick of wins along the way. The German is knocking on the door of a title shot and he’s a well rounded competitor. The 31-year-old is a solid wrestler who is good at controlling position, and he’s won five bouts by submission early in his career. On the feet, the Berlin man has a ripper of a left hand and can do tremendous damage in striking exchanges, with another five finishes coming via knockout. He’s won eight of his last nine contests.

Tymoteusz Łopaczyk (13-3) is a former champion in Babilon MMA, and trains out of the acclaimed Nemesis fight team based out of Warsaw. The 29-year-old has won five-in-a-row, two of which have come under the KSW banner. The “Honey Badger” is a slick striker with hands of stone and lethal in the clinch. Elbows, knees and fists will fly early and with ill intent. Seven of his wins have been knockouts. Madars Fleminas (13-7) is a man who loves a scrap and is a blood and thunder, kill or be killed kind of fighter. The Latvian is going to get right in your face and look to do damage early and often. The 37-year-old has seven knockout wins of his own, and his fights often involve turning the canvas claret red. The Cage Warriors veteran is never boring.

Sergiusz Zając (8-1) is a very fun guy to watch and don’t you dare blink during his fights because you might miss something. The Spartakus Rzeszów man routinely sends opponents into the shadow realm, scoring seven knockouts. The 26-year-old is a menace in the clinch, throwing devastating knees and elbows. He starts quick and likes to end it quicker, and he has a very bright future ahead of him. Mariusz Książkiewicz (11-2) is a Contender Series veteran with a similar desire to give the judges a fight off. The 35-year-old is based out of Canada, making the way across the Atlantic to the land of his ancestors. The Winnipeg man is a solid submission player, with the rear naked choke being his “go-to” technique. He’s very competitive on the feet and he has power in his hands. Ten of his wins have come within the distance, with an even 50:50 split in the methods.

Welisson Paiva (12-3-2) is a talented young man and has two very good wins in the promotion already. Undefeated in his last seven, the Brazilian likes to do his work on the feet. The 23-year-old has nine knockout wins, and he’s got heavy hands, sharp elbows and a penchant for using his knees to brutalise the body. Mateusz Makarowski (13-7-1) is another hometown hero competing on the card and he was victorious in his KSW debut last May. The 28-year-old is a former Babilon MMA champion and he loves to punch people square in the face. The Rzeszów man is very dangerous early on, however if it goes long, the power doesn’t diminish towards the end of proceedings. Like his opponent, nine wins have been earned with his fists.

Szymon Bajor (25-12) is a former title challenger and a very well rounded heavyweight. In the submission game, he’ll grab any arm left hanging around, attacking kimuras, key locks and armbars. On the feet, he throws with a lot of power and isn’t afraid to make things messy and brawl in close. He likes to use elbows and will be aggressive with his kicking. Twenty of his wins have been finishes. Ricardo Prasel (13-5) is a former goalkeeper for the Premier League’s Chelsea before switching to MMA. The Brazilian uses his long legs to great effect in the submission game, carrying a huge threat with leg locks and triangles. The 35-year-old is very tall at 6ft7’ and has a long reach so can pick opponents off at distance. All of his wins have been finishes.

Rogério Bontorin (17-5) is a UFC veteran and comes in from Rizin in Japan. The Brazilian is very experienced and he’s a high level BJJ player. The 33-year-old’s Jiu Jitsu is very eclectic, threatening from the main MMA holds such as the rear naked choke, as well as being proficient in leg and arm locks. Eleven of his victories were via tap out. Vitaliy Yakimenko (9-2) comes in from

FEN and he makes his first appearance since last November. The Ukrainian is a solid wrestler with a tricky choke game in his back pocket. When he hits the mat, he’ll be looking for the back. The 29-year-old is also a very capable boxer and he rips to the body of his unwitting opponents.

Piotr Kaczprak (12-5) is looking to bounce back from his first promotional loss back in May. The Radom man is an extremely high level Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and he routinely makes people tap with his rear naked choke. The former Babilon MMA champion is no slouch in the kickboxing exchanges and is particularly dangerous with his kicking. Łukasz Charzewski (13-3) is a former FEN champion and possesses a well rounded skillset. The Pole does everything well, however doesn’t get many finishes. The 33-year-old can outpoint you on the feet or dominate in grappling exchanges. He’s a high level operator.

Michał Dreczkowski (5-1) is another very promising young light heavyweight. The 24-year-old trains out of Ankos MMA in Poznań and is looking to bounce back from his first career defeat in March. The 24-year-old is a good kickboxer with a heavy head kick and bricks for hands. He can also wrestle and if he gets on top of you, the ground and pound is brutal. Adam Tomasik (6-2) returns for the first time since 2022 and is another one with bags of potential. The Krosno man is explosive in kickboxing exchanges and isn’t afraid to spin or jump into attacks. The Pole is also proficient in submissions with some good chokes and a leg lock threat.

Sebastian Decowski (5-0) fights out of Rzeszów and is a former FEN fighter. The Pole had a very long and distinguished amateur career, amassing twenty bouts in the unpaid ranks. As a professional, he’s barely put a foot wrong and he’s displayed some lovely kickboxing performances. He’s got power in his hands and also has a very dangerous submission game to fall back on. His armbar is particularly threatening, with some other nice chokes such as the anaconda and guillotine. Przemysław Górny (6-4) is a Bellator veteran and a former opponent of Ciarán Clarke. The Pole is predominantly a stand-up competitor and if he hits you, you stay hit. The Świdwin man has hands of stone and he’s got a very effective boxing skillset. All but one of his victories has been via knockout.

Krystian Blezień (9-5) is from Dębica and went to college in Rzeszów so he should have plenty of fans in for him early doors. This will be his third appearance in KSW, and he is an all-round threat. The 30-year-old threatens with his arm triangle and rear naked chokes, and is also very effective in the kickboxing game, possessing three wins via knockout. Oleksandr Moisa (3-1) is a warrior and a veteran of FEN and Babilon in MMA, as well as One Championship under kickboxing rules. The Ukrainian is a former Lethwei competitor and if you don’t know what that is, it’s a striking art where headbutts are legal. The 31-year-old has one shot stopping power and does major damage when he lands.

KSW 110 is live from Rzeszów at 18:00 Dublin time this Saturday night and the PPV can be purchased at KSWTV.com. If you’re looking for a taste of what’s to come, the first two fights will air for free on Youtube, as well as the infamous KSW opening ceremony.