As with every KSW card, KSW 41 has a nice cocktail of fighters. We have the experienced pros like champions Borys Mankowski and Kleber Koike Erbst, we have the signature fun fight in Popek Monster vs. Strachu, there are the tough Polish vets like Antoni Chmielewski and Artur Sowinski, and for this card we have an abundance of top prospects emerging. Here is a list of six prospects you should keep an eye on this Saturday at KSW 41.
 
1. Damian Janikowski (1-0), 28-years-old, middleweight
 
Janikowski is the oldest fighter on this prospect lists but he has the potential to make the biggest impact the fastest. He entered the MMA game relatively late but he entered with an Olympic medal in wrestling from London 2012. The national hero made his KSW and MMA debut earlier this year and he did so in impressive fashion. Janikowski stepped out in front of a record setting 57,776 people and finished the more experienced Julio Gallegos with strikes in the first round. 
 
Now he has the opportunity to really solidify himself as the real deal in just his second pro fight when he takes on former KSW champion Antoni Chmielewski (32-16) this Saturday night. Chmielewski has been fighting since 2003 and holds wins over the likes of Dion Staring, James Zikic, Krzysztof Kulak and Lukasz Jurkowski. This is an extremely tough fight for Janikowski but if gets the win here then we could be looking at a true contender in the middleweight division.


 
2. Michal Andryszak (19-6), 25-years-old, heavyweight
 
In the world of heavyweight MMA true viable prospects are hard to come by but Andryszak ticks all the boxes: he is young, he can finish fights, he has 25 fights under his belt and therefore has more than put in his time learning the trade. We could be looking at what might very well soon be one of the best heavyweights in the world.
 
At KSW 41 he takes on former champ Fernando Rodrigues Jr. (11-3) in a possible number 1 contender fight for the vacant KSW heavyweight title. Andryszak enters on a scary winning streak of five straight first round finishes. If he can make it six and get the shot at the title then he surely will have the MMA world take note.

 


3. Roberto Soldic (12-2), 22-years-old, welterweight
 
A relatively late injury to Dricus du Plessis has granted Roberto Soldic the biggest opportunity of his young career - the chance of becoming KSW welterweight champion. Dubbed as the next Mirko Cro Cop, Soldic has proven himself as dangerous fighter on the European scene and watching some of his finishes will surely remind you of ’left leg cemetery’.
 
The KO artist has already wracked up some really impressive wins over tough and well respected fighters and he enters this contest on a six-fight-win-streak (all finishes), including four in 2017 alone. Soldic is the underdog in this fight as Mankowski is his toughest opponent yet but sometimes young fighters need tests like this at this stage in their career. It is literally a win-win for him but no doubt he will be looking to dethrone Mankowski and become the new KSW champion.

 
4. Salahdine Parnasse (9-0-1), 20-year-old, featherweight
 
Parnasse, who just turned 20 at the beginning of December, has already competed in and won one-night tournaments in his native France, fought in neighboring Belgium, and has fought a total of three times in China. At such a young age this all adds an invaluable amount of experience in the fight game.
 
Now he faces his toughest test at KSW 41. Parnasse travels to Poland for the first time, will compete in arena like the Spodek for the first time and faces easily his most difficult opponent to date in Lukasz Rajewski (7-2). Up until this point Parnasse has fought under limited rules in France and against relatively inexperienced opposition. In his last fight though he traveled to Belgium and finished Dutch vet Hyram Rodriuez, a fighter with nearly 40 pro fights to his name, with ease and such ruthless precision that it is not hard to be excited by this young man from Paris. 
 
5. Roman Szymanski (10-3), 24-years-old, featherweight
 
After beginning his pro career in 2012 with two straight losses, Szymanski has went 10-1 since. He made his KSW debut just twelve months ago and has since gone 2-0 in the promotion. The 24-year-old is your typical ’new school’ MMA fighter in the sense that he is sound in all aspects of the game. And he has showcased his solid skills with a submission win in his KSW debut followed by a unanimous decision win over Brazilian prospect Denilson Neves.
 
Now this weekend he faces his biggest and toughest name to date in former champ and TUF 22 competitor Marcin Wrzosek and there is potentially a lot on the line. A win over a fighter as good Wrzosek will force a lot of people to start paying attention to Szymanski and he could throw his name into the title picture.

 
KSW 41 takes place Saturday, December 23rd from Katowice, Poland and it is available to watch live around the world on www.KSWTV.com.