Mariusz Pudzianowski is still responding to criticism following his fight at KSW 105.
At KSW 105 in Gliwice, Poland on Saturday, the five-time World`s Strongest Man was surprisingly defeated by Eddie Hall via TKO in just 30 seconds.
After the fight, Pudzianowski promptly protested, claiming he received illegal punches to the back of his head. His opponent, Hall (who weighs 334 lbs), quickly apologized for this during a backstage media session following his victorious MMA debut.
The 48-year-old has since been active on social media, discussing his third consecutive loss.
Mariusz Pudzianowski responds to tapping claims
On Monday, Pudzianowski responded to KSW matchmaker Wojslaw Rysiewski, who had strongly criticized his performance. Pudzianowski`s earnings for the fight are estimated to be between 1.5 and 2 million Polish złoty ($400,000 to $530,000).
A day later, the veteran fighter with 28 MMA bouts addressed accusations that he submitted to Hall`s strikes.
Pudzianowski shared footage from the cageside perspective of his recent fight, with the caption, “Let the experts see this.”
He added, “I don’t blame Eddie Hall – The Beast – at all, because there’s excitement in the fight, etc. But I`d like to invite anyone who says I tapped out and give them a backhand strike four times and see if they know where they are! Let the experts watch the footage themselves.”
He continued, “Eddie did what he did in his first cage fight – he won, okay, he was better! But where was the referee? A 150kg guy was just striking me… Hmm, until I was on my knees.”
What’s next for Mariusz Pudzianowski?
Before his fight with Hall, dubbed the ‘World’s Strongest Fight’, Pudzianowski had indicated he was nearing retirement from MMA.
He stated, “I’m approaching the end of my career, the close of this chapter called ‘sport’, and at some point, I will need to start a normal life.”
“I will definitely continue training,” he added, “but not as a professional athlete anymore. We`ll see what the future holds.”
When Hall proposed a rematch during his post-fight interview, Pudzianowski again hinted at retirement.
He confessed, “I’m not currently thinking about the future.”
“I turned 48, almost 49,” he explained. “This sport is for younger individuals.”
“What’s next? I don’t know,” he concluded.
