Artur Szpilka, known in the boxing world as a former opponent of Deontay Wilder, against whom he suffered a knockout loss in 2016, is carving out a new path in mixed martial arts.
Szpilka, who previously held a professional boxing record of 24 wins and 5 losses, hails from Poland. He recently made a successful return to the MMA cage after his first loss in the sport last year, which ended quickly in just 14 seconds via TKO.
His comeback fight took place at KSW 105 on his home turf in Poland. The event also featured notable names like Eddie Hall and five-time World`s Strongest Man Mariusz Pudzianowski, a fighter Szpilka has previously defeated.
While Pudzianowski might be his most recognized MMA foe, it`s worth remembering Szpilka`s challenging boxing match against Deontay Wilder for the WBC Heavyweight title in 2016. Szpilka lasted nine rounds before `The Bronze Bomber` secured the decisive knockout.
Given his extensive boxing background, the manner in which Szpilka secured his latest MMA win was particularly surprising.
Artur Szpilka Overcomes Early Trouble Against Former Kickboxer
Now a professional MMA fighter for almost three years, Szpilka stepped into the cage against former kickboxing star Errol Zimmerman in a heavyweight contest, improving his record to 4 wins and 1 loss.
His fifth professional MMA bout didn`t last long.
Weighing in at 252 pounds, Szpilka faced immediate adversity when his opponent knocked him down within the opening minute of the fight, forcing him to defend on the ground.
Despite the initial success, Zimmerman couldn`t capitalize and finish the fight, allowing Szpilka to recover and return to his feet.
Artur Szpilka Achieves First Submission Victory at KSW 105
Following the scare, Szpilka managed to secure a takedown, signaling the turning point in the fight against Zimmerman.
Remarkably, less than two minutes into the first round, Szpilka transitioned to an arm triangle choke from the top position.
Just seconds after applying the squeeze, Zimmerman was compelled to tap out, resulting in a submission victory for Szpilka.
After a career spanning 29 professional boxing matches and 5 MMA fights, the relatively inexperienced MMA grappler Artur Szpilka achieved his very first submission win. It was an emotional moment for the 36-year-old fighter, celebrating the milestone in front of his home crowd in Poland.
In his post-fight interview, Szpilka issued a challenge to Arkadiusz Wrzosek, the fighter who delivered his sole MMA defeat via a rapid 14-second knockout back in May of last year at KSW 94.
