Eddie Hall has been quite vocal about his goals in combat sports for the past few years, always looking for a new challenge to take on. However, for a man of his size, it is often hard to find an adequate opponent and environment. Luckily, to the excitement of many fans, Eddie has recently announced his next match. Namely, he will be taking on the 5x World’s Strongest Man, Mariusz Pudzianowski, on April 26th, 2025, as a part of the KSW 105 event.
Eddie Hall announced the matchup on his YouTube channel, talking about all of the details regarding his fight against Mariusz Pudzianowski. He then gave an insight into his own feelings regarding the fight. So, as per Hall’s statement, the fight will be sanctioned by KSW and will consist of four-minute rounds.
“The fight is on… I have been trying to get into MMA for a long time now and then the time has come. The deal landed on my lap to fight Mariusz Pudzianowski…
I think he fought for the KSW title at one point. So, you have got to think, KSW, as a fight federation, has to be the best fight federation in Europe… So, there is no doubt that at some point, Mariusz has been Top 3-5 in MMA in Europe, which is a hell of an accolade. That is like one of the most dangerous men on the planet.
So, I am fighting Mariusz Pudzianowski. That sounds ridiculous to say… I have got to lose a lot of weight… We are fighting four-minute rounds because Mariusz wouldn’t drop down below four minutes. I wanted two minutes (rounds)… MMA rules, so pretty much anything goes.
Am I scared? Yes, I am scared. Mariusz is just a ferocious fighter. He is so violent in the way he explodes and he has knocked so many people out.
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I’ve got no harm in admitting to myself that I am diving into the deep end here. I am fighting one of the world’s best fighters and I am probably going to get my a** beat. But, if I didn’t think I could beat him, I wouldn’t be doing this.
In the remainder of the video, Eddie Hall went through his day of working out, eating, and recovering, showing that he is completely dedicated to his fight camp. Most notably, he will be lowering his daily calorie intake down to 4,500, while it usually sits at 6,000-7,500 calories per day. Hall currently weighs 164 kilograms (361 pounds), but would like to get down to 150 kilograms (330.7 pounds). Moreover, Hall is incorporating swimming and other forms of cardio into his program to prepare for 4-minute rounds.
Watch Eddie Hall’s full video here:
Eddie Hall’s Fighting Background
Eddie Hall’s passion for combat sports began after his feud with another fellow Strongman, Hafthor Bjornsson. The two men were carrying a lot of resentment toward each other because of certain Strongman results and the All-Time Deadlift World Record. Ultimately, they decided to settle the beef in the ring, putting on an exciting boxing match for the fans. Bjornsson came out victorious, taking the win via the judges’ decision.
Eddie Hall continued expressing his desire to fight, and it seemed like his dreams were fulfilled when he was offered a contract to participate in an MMA tournament alongside Brian Shaw, Mitchell Hooper, and Martyn Ford. Unfortunately, that ended up falling through.
However, just a few months ago, Eddie Hall decided to step into the octagon in order to battle against two men at the same time. While both of his opponents were significantly smaller, Eddie did have a great showing, winning the match after a brutal knockout. After winning the 2v1 match, Eddie took the opportunity to call out Mariusz Pudzianowski. Some time has passed since, but the fight has now been arranged.
Interestingly, Mariusz Pudzianowski did also call out Eddie Hall about five years ago. However, at that time, Eddie did not believe that he was ready to battle in MMA, as he could not keep up with the cardio required for the sport at that time. This has clearly changed, as Eddie is now looking forward to battling against Pudzianowski.
Mariusz Pudzianowski’s Fighting Background
Mariusz Pudzianowski also started as a Strongman competitor and cemented himself as one of the greatest strength athletes in history. However, after retiring from Strongman, he decided to move to MMA, where he built an incredible career as well.
Mariusz Pudzianowski made his MMA debut in 2009, competing under the KSW federation and winning his first fight. He turned out to be one of the most interesting fighters to watch, always leaving his all in the ring. In turn, over the years, he got the opportunity to fight against some of the biggest names in the sport, including Bob Sapp, Tim Sylvia, and Eric ‘Butterbean’ Esch. Win or lose, Mariusz fights never lacked excitement.
In turn, Mariusz Pudzianowski has accumulated 27 fight appearances over the years, winning 17, of which 12 came by knockout. He lost nine matches (5 by KO) and ended up with one ‘No Contest’.
Eddie Hall vs Mariusz Pudzianowski
Mariusz Pudzianowski is clearly much more experienced in MMA than Eddie Hall, which will give him a massive advantage. However, while he is massive in his own right, Mariusz is still lighter than Hall by a margin of dozens of kilograms. Hall also has a slight height advantage, standing 3 centimeters (1 inch) taller than Pudzianowski. Another important factor will be the age, as Hall is currently 37-years-old, while Mariusz is 11 years older than him.
Both Eddie Hall and Mariusz Pudzianowski have won the most prestigious Strongman title during their Strongman careers. Hall claimed one title in 2017, while Mariusz holds the record for most titles at the competition, winning it five times in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2008. However, it is clear that both of them are highly competitive, which should make for an incredibly interesting MMA match.
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