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"I’m ready for a slugfest" – interview with Mariusz Pudzianowski
We present you with the extensive interview with the five-time strongman world champion and an up-and-coming MMA fighter Marisuz Pudzianowski. The always popular Pudzian talks about his trainings, his upcoming foe and his weakness for sweats.
You met your upcoming opponent for the first time a few days ago. What’s you initial reaction?
- He’s a big guy. I like these type of opponents. We are similar in size and this should result in an exciting fight.
I’ve read your recent interviews and you are reluctant to say where and with whom you train. Maybe I’ll have more luck with that question.
- Let’s just say I train with the pros. They do the perfect job in preparing me for the upcoming fight. I don’t want to reveal names, though. We’ve all agreed that it should remain discrete. I train with accomplished athletes in their respective crafts, former champions and Olympians. They know what they do.
Many people criticized your boxing skills in the previous fights. It’s been quite some time since your last outing. Did you make any progress in this area?
- For the last six months, I’ve trained boxing five, even six times a week. I surely didn’t waste any time and as they say practice makes perfect. I understand that there’s a lot work ahead of me, but I slowly upgrade my skills each and every day.
Is it true that you train boxing under Andrzej Gmitruk?
- It’s not true! Andrzej just gave my some technical advice here and there.
You say that your trainings have dramatically changed since the Butterbean fight. What about the coaching stuff, do you still work with the same people?
- No, I train with an entirely new stuff. I prepare with freestyle and greco-roman wrestlers and boxers. In order to progress as an MMA fighter I needed to make those changes. I didn’t train very hard early in my career cause my body didn’t let me. Now my body has adapted to a new sport and we can kick some ass!
What about your strength trainings? Do you still lift weight like when you used to be a strongman?
- I stopped doing any heavy lifting in the beginning of this year. My strength trainings are now more MMA focused. I don’t lift two hundred or three hundred kilos any more. It’s totally different now and I see the results already.
I know you watched James Thompson’s fights on youtube. What can you say about his style?
- He’s unpredictable. He lost his last few fights, but he’s still dangerous. I have to be very cautious as he may surprise me with his signature gong and dash attack. I’d need either to slug it out with him or slip his punches and let him lose his balance. I’ll be ready to throw hands with him and make it a classic slugfest.
The last KSW show proved that fighters rarely attack furiously from the start. I daresay that James Thompson will also be cautious from the start. After all, he knows that he’s fighting a five times strongman world champion.
- He’s more experienced fighter than me and my strongman titles give me only a physical advantage. I’m fully aware that he may use his kamikaze style to defeat me, but I don’t think he’ll succeed.
He was knocked out a few times in his career. You say you’ve improved your boxing. Do you plan to use these skills to earn a spectacular one punch finish?
- Yes, I’ve improved my boxing, but not as much as I wanted to. Sure I can hit harder now, so who knows what will happen...
James Thompson is no Eric Esch, he won’t turtle up and eat punches once his taken down. He’s got skills on the ground and standing-up. What is your strategy for this bout? Where do you want this fight to take place?
- Thompson is an unpredictable fighter. It’s hard to say how this fight will unfold. If I’m forced to stand up with him, I will throw punches. If the fight ends up on the ground, I’ll grapple with him. He’s a tough opponent and it’s hard to tell what he’ll do. It may be over in a minute or it may go to the scorecards. I’ll be prepared to go to the distance.
While being a strongman you didn’t need to watch your body weight at all. You’ve always had a weakness for coca-cola and sweats. Are you still able to enjoy these?
- Yeah, from time to time, but not as much as while being a strongman. It’s hard to change your habits after so many years.
The fight will be contested in the one hundred twenty seven kilograms catchweight. Would you rather not have the weight limit or are you ok with it?
- I still have some time before the fight. I’m about one hundred thirty kilograms now, so I need to drop only a few to make the limit. I’ll be fine.
To end the interview please tell us who will win the KSW 16 main event, Mariusz Pudzianowski or James Thomspon?
- I’d like to finish him off in less than a minute and not get any tired (laughs). But seriously, I’m ready for two rounds and an extra round. It would be nice to win quickly and not get hit, but I’m ready for a war. Let’s see what happens on May 21st.
Mariusz thanks for your time.
- My pleasure.
Interview by Artur Przybysz
You met your upcoming opponent for the first time a few days ago. What’s you initial reaction?
- He’s a big guy. I like these type of opponents. We are similar in size and this should result in an exciting fight.
I’ve read your recent interviews and you are reluctant to say where and with whom you train. Maybe I’ll have more luck with that question.
- Let’s just say I train with the pros. They do the perfect job in preparing me for the upcoming fight. I don’t want to reveal names, though. We’ve all agreed that it should remain discrete. I train with accomplished athletes in their respective crafts, former champions and Olympians. They know what they do.
Many people criticized your boxing skills in the previous fights. It’s been quite some time since your last outing. Did you make any progress in this area?
- For the last six months, I’ve trained boxing five, even six times a week. I surely didn’t waste any time and as they say practice makes perfect. I understand that there’s a lot work ahead of me, but I slowly upgrade my skills each and every day.
Is it true that you train boxing under Andrzej Gmitruk?
- It’s not true! Andrzej just gave my some technical advice here and there.
You say that your trainings have dramatically changed since the Butterbean fight. What about the coaching stuff, do you still work with the same people?
- No, I train with an entirely new stuff. I prepare with freestyle and greco-roman wrestlers and boxers. In order to progress as an MMA fighter I needed to make those changes. I didn’t train very hard early in my career cause my body didn’t let me. Now my body has adapted to a new sport and we can kick some ass!
What about your strength trainings? Do you still lift weight like when you used to be a strongman?
- I stopped doing any heavy lifting in the beginning of this year. My strength trainings are now more MMA focused. I don’t lift two hundred or three hundred kilos any more. It’s totally different now and I see the results already.
I know you watched James Thompson’s fights on youtube. What can you say about his style?
- He’s unpredictable. He lost his last few fights, but he’s still dangerous. I have to be very cautious as he may surprise me with his signature gong and dash attack. I’d need either to slug it out with him or slip his punches and let him lose his balance. I’ll be ready to throw hands with him and make it a classic slugfest.
The last KSW show proved that fighters rarely attack furiously from the start. I daresay that James Thompson will also be cautious from the start. After all, he knows that he’s fighting a five times strongman world champion.
- He’s more experienced fighter than me and my strongman titles give me only a physical advantage. I’m fully aware that he may use his kamikaze style to defeat me, but I don’t think he’ll succeed.
He was knocked out a few times in his career. You say you’ve improved your boxing. Do you plan to use these skills to earn a spectacular one punch finish?
- Yes, I’ve improved my boxing, but not as much as I wanted to. Sure I can hit harder now, so who knows what will happen...
James Thompson is no Eric Esch, he won’t turtle up and eat punches once his taken down. He’s got skills on the ground and standing-up. What is your strategy for this bout? Where do you want this fight to take place?
- Thompson is an unpredictable fighter. It’s hard to say how this fight will unfold. If I’m forced to stand up with him, I will throw punches. If the fight ends up on the ground, I’ll grapple with him. He’s a tough opponent and it’s hard to tell what he’ll do. It may be over in a minute or it may go to the scorecards. I’ll be prepared to go to the distance.
While being a strongman you didn’t need to watch your body weight at all. You’ve always had a weakness for coca-cola and sweats. Are you still able to enjoy these?
- Yeah, from time to time, but not as much as while being a strongman. It’s hard to change your habits after so many years.
The fight will be contested in the one hundred twenty seven kilograms catchweight. Would you rather not have the weight limit or are you ok with it?
- I still have some time before the fight. I’m about one hundred thirty kilograms now, so I need to drop only a few to make the limit. I’ll be fine.
To end the interview please tell us who will win the KSW 16 main event, Mariusz Pudzianowski or James Thomspon?
- I’d like to finish him off in less than a minute and not get any tired (laughs). But seriously, I’m ready for two rounds and an extra round. It would be nice to win quickly and not get hit, but I’m ready for a war. Let’s see what happens on May 21st.
Mariusz thanks for your time.
- My pleasure.
Interview by Artur Przybysz
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