KSW 97 Preview; Bajor v Scheffel

KSW continue to offer up firsts with their premier trip to Tarnów this Saturday, a city in the south of Poland, nestled halfway between Kraków and Rzeszów. Arena Jaskółka will play host to KSW 97 and will feature nine bouts under KSW MMA rules.

Szymon Bajor (25-10) is a veteran who is looking to build his way back to challenging for Phil De Fries’ heavyweight crown. Step one was beating Viktor Pešta in a split decision last December. The former FEN interim champion is a veteran of international promotions such as PFL and Rizin. The 36-year-old is a true mixed martial artist who can cause trouble wherever the fight goes, and when he smells a finish, it’s usually game over. With ten knockouts and ten submissions to his name already, the Pole will be looking to add to the long list of fallen foes on Saturday. Matheus Scheffel (17-11) is a fellow veteran who has competed internationally on the Contender Series and came runner up in the 2022 PFL heavyweight tournament. The Brazilian was unsuccessful in his KSW debut, running into a ruthless Darko Stošić in a Pride rules bout, so he’s looking to make amends and announce his true self. The 31-year-old is a bruiser on the feet, winning twelve of his bouts via knockout. He’s tall, he’s brave and not afraid to get into a fight. The danger is getting caught on the receiving end, and he has a habit of being caught early.

Oleksii Polischuck (12-4) has been one with the eyes of the KSW universe on him as a potential title challenger. The Ukrainian has won his last two in impressive fashion, finishing big names Filip Macek and Werlleson Martins. The 28-year-old has a strong wrestling game with a wicked triangle, armbar and rear naked choke. His boxing is coming along great and he showed his power in a knockout victory back in January. Holding #3 in the rankings, a win should set up a shot at the belt. Bruno Azevedo (20-4) is looking to rain on that parade. The Brazilian trains out of Thailand and is a veteran of Shooto in his native country, as well as One Championship and Road FC in Asia. The 33-year-old is an arm snatcher with fourteen submission victories on his résumé, with most of them coming with some variation of an armbar. With that said, he’s been branching out of late and utilises his arm-triangle to great success.

Igor Michaliszyn (10-3) is a very strong man who has caused waves since debuting in KSW before falling short in his first title attempt against Adrian Bartośinksi in May. The Silesian Cage Club man trains under the watchful eye of head KSW official Tomasz Bronder. The 28-year-old is well versed in both the striking and grappling arts, with the ability to finish things in a flash. Power is his game on the feet, with his fists turning out the opponent’s lights regularly. The Pole can hold you down on the mat with ease, then raining down ground and pound. He’s tough and willing to take on the best. Oton Jasse (21-9) is another looking for a win in the KSW gloves after losing to contender Andrzej Grzebyk in December 2022. This will be the first time we’ve seen him since then, and he’s known as one of the biggest submission threats in the division with nineteen wins via tap out. There’s more anacondas on his highlight reel than you’ll find in the Amazon rainforest. The 30-year-old has been around more necks than Olympic medals.

Marcin Krakowiak (13-4) appears for the first time in 2024. The Pole is coming in off the back of two decision wins, and will be looking to find the finishing touches again on Saturday. The 31-year-old is an all-action fighter who can put on a show against anyone. His main strength is his grappling, with a savage guillotine choke in his arsenal. In addition, Krakus has a demon of a high kick in his locker. He works his levels well and picks his shots with aplomb. Muslim Tulshaev (11-3) debuted at the KSW Epic show in February, winning via soccer kicks in a vale tudo rules bout. The 30-year-old hails from the Spitfire team in Berlin and shares the mat with many top European talents. The Ares FC veteran is a good submission player with power on the feet.

Wiktoria Czyżewska (3-1) is a tornado of violence if allowed to get going. The 20-year-old has been studying the striking arts since childhood, and has a raw mean streak rarely seen in this division. If the Pole is allowed to march forward, she’ll throw more combinations than a hotel safe and will overwhelm her opponents. She picks her shots well and will use arms and legs to finish things. When the referee says “fight”, few fly across the cage quicker than Chicatoro and she usually gets it done within the first couple of minutes. Erianny Castaneda (4-4) makes her debut on Saturday. The Venezuelan is the partner of fellow KSW fighter Isai Ramos. The young flyweight will be up for a fight and won’t shy away from the barrage coming her way. She’s scrappy and will try to walk down her foe early on and get off her own striking offence, however she’ll need to prove her grappling prowess to tame Czyżewska.

There’s few fighters as popular as Albert Odzimkowski. A man of many hats, he can be seen at the KSW commentary desk at most events, and coaching fighters in the gym. The 36-year-old is always in post-fight bonus contention. Winning three of his last four, Dzik is showing there’s plenty of life left in him. He came from a judo background, pairing it up with boxing early on. The Radom man will be throwing big shots here with bad intentions. One of the good guys. David Hošek (11-5-1) comes in from the Renegade gym in Prague. The Czech has a boxing heavy style, with big stopping power in the early rounds. The 31-year-old is a decent wrestler with some clever submissions. He’ll likely get drawn into the stand-up which should prove to be fun.

Kleber Silva (22-12) is a Bellator veteran and another fun fighter on the card. The Brazilian flew out of the blocks in KSW with two knockout victories, one with his knee and one with his fists. The 36-year-old’s only misstep in the promotion so far was a loss in the semi-final of the KSW Epic one-night tournament to Damian Piwowarczyk. He has the power to end things quickly, is never boring and can whip out a submission in an emergency. A dangerous man to hang with. Sergiusz Zając (6-1) comes in from Babilon MMA and should draw fans as he’s from nearby Rzeszów. After a long twenty-fight amateur career, the 25-year-old has been lethal as a pro. Viciousness is his calling card and he’s ruthless on the inside with his knees and elbows. The Pole slices and dices like a classic infomercial appliance. He also has experience in bare-knuckle MMA, and hasn’t lost in the unified rules since his debut in 2020.

Konrad Rusiński (6-2) is looking to bounce back from his loss at KSW Epic. The Babilon MMA veteran won his debut with a lovely rear naked choke victory over bruiser Krystian Bielski. The 26-year-old has most of his success in the submission game, possessing a fantastic guillotine and he’s really adept at taking the back and sinking in a choke. He was a demon for tapping people out with these techniques in the amateur ranks as well. Michał Guzik (4-0) makes his debut and he comes in from nearby Kraków. Another Babilon MMA veteran, the Pole is a well rounded fighter who can mix it up wherever it goes. He’s got power on the feet and likes to smash with ground and pound.

Krystian Blezień (8-4) is from nearby Dębica and trains out of Tarnów. The 29-year-old is an exciting fighter who takes risks to cause damage. The Pole is tough enough to go the distance, however is always looking to end it. His finishes have come through a mix of knockouts and submissions and he’s won five of his last six. Alvin Lowenski (7-4) makes the trip to enemy territory, however he should fit in well with his Polish surname. The Frenchman makes his KSW debut on Saturday night, and is known for pushing the pace on the feet and looking for the knockout blow. The 30-year-old’s power lasts throughout the fifteen minutes and he’s always threatening. This should be a lively opener. 

KSW 97 is live from 6pm Irish time on Saturday and access can be purchased at KSWTV.com or on the ViaPlay subscription service in select countries.