On September 12^th in Warsaw 36-year-old boxer Rafał Jackiewicz signed a multi-fight contract with KSW Federation to compete in mixed martial arts.

Born in Mińsk Mazowiecki, Jackiewicz began his combat sports career as a kickboxer and later switched to professional boxing. From February 2001 he fought fifty-five times, collecting forty-two wins, eleven defeats and two draws in the welterweight division. Contending for the IBF world title in 2010 is his greatest achievement to date. He is also one of a few Poles to hold EBU European championship.

Why did you decide to switch to MMA?

- I won’t lie, I won’t fool anyone that fans need me or want to see me. I had some successes in boxing, but here it’s all about money. I want to earn some and save for my future. I made a mistake in boxing, I thought I would earn more. I didn’t, I don’t and here I have a chance to make more. I just need to go out, have exciting fights and don’t get taken down or submitted. For some ten zloty is much, for some it’s hundred zloty and for others hundred thousand zloty is not enough. I know what I’m worth. I struck a deal with KSW that suits me and when it’s suits me, everything is great – Jaczkiewicz admits

Where do you want to train mixed martial arts? At what weight will you compete?

- Kickboxing is my passion, my boxing is not that bad either. I just need to practice the ground skills. I train in Nastula Team, where Łukasz Jurkowski, Piotr Strus and Andrzej Pniewski help me out. We help each other, I give them pieces of advice to improve their striking, they help me learn the grappling.

I would like to compete at seventy kilograms. I don’t want to cut weight to make sixty-six kilograms any more, it’s a torture. Lightweight is where I’m heading – Jackiewicz tells us.

The exact date of Jackiewcz’s first KSW outing was not announced, but it is certain he will make his debut in 2014.