Eddie Hall reveals dream opponents for next fight after brutal 30 second KO of Mariusz Pudzianowski
The former World's Strongest Man champion, 37, made his pro-MMA debut on Saturday as KSW 105 in Poland, taking just 27 seconds beat fellow strongman champ Pudzianowski.
4
4
But despite decimating KSW icon Pudzianowski, Hall has no intention of becoming a standout in the Polish promotion's heavyweight division.
Instead he has revealed that he wants to "have fun", revealing what his ideal next opponent would be like.
He said: "Maybe Mariusz will do the rematch with two-minute rounds.
"I've got no aspirations to be number one in KSW. That's just not for me. I want to come and have fun.
"I want to fight my heroes. I want to fight the freaks of the world."
He went on to joke that he would find it "comical" to fight UFC icon Conor McGregor.
He said: "I would love to fight Conor McGregor. I think the weight difference would be absolutely comical.
"There is weight classes for that reason. It would be dangerous, on Conor's behalf."
4
Brit Hall certainly has the right people on his side if he does want to continue his career in MMA, having sought advice from a UFC champion.
The Beast, who shed 45kg from his usual 195kg weight for the fight, was helped by Tom Aspinall and his dad Andy in the build up to his breezy win over Pudzianowski.
Eddie Hall brutally wins MMA debut in 30 seconds as he crushes ex-strongman Mariusz Pudzianowski
Speaking after the win, he revealed: "I think Tom and Andy would be very happy with that performance.
"I've done little bits of training with Tom and, like I've said in the past, getting in the ring with Tom is very humbling.
"You think you can fight, you think you can wrestle and then you get in the ring with Tom and he just treats you like a little girl.
"Tom wished me best [of luck]. He messaged me this morning and said, 'Good luck with the fight, don't forget to enjoy it.'
"Being in their presence - Andy Aspinall, as well, is a phenomenal coach.
"Andy can explain something once and you'll watch it and you know what to do.
"So, you know, just those little few sessions of having Tom and Andy definitely paid dividends. They made a big difference."
4
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Forget everything else, Du Plessis vs Chimaev is the true fight of the year
On Saturday night, there will be more than a gale blustering through the Windy City. Chicago's United Center will do its best to contain a hurricane of a fight – a contender for fight of the year, in fact. In the main event of UFC 319, Dricus Du Plessis will defend the middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev, in a contest that promises chaos. It may not prove the peak of technicality inside the Octagon, but if your taste tends towards the turbulent, then savour this. In one corner will be the South African champion, a fighter subject to many a meme – yet memes borne from respect, strangely. Du Plessis was once derided for his lumbering, unorthodox style, yet it saw him mow down a who's who of middleweights, earning him four wins over three champions: Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, and Sean Strickland twice. Now, ahead of his third title defence, the jokes doing the rounds are the likes of 'DDP by oversized cartoon hammer' and 'DDP by falling piano'. But if you'd prefer an appraisal of his style from arguably the greatest middleweight of this generation, rather than from fans on X, here's what Adesanya had to say about the 31-year-old: 'He's just stubborn. It's even funny to watch – and I give him all the respect. Look, he's so good at what he does. What was it I said before? He's the best s*** fighter in the world!' Adesanya's grudge match with Du Plessis was an enthralling war 12 months ago, but it ended emphatically when Du Plessis – a much less seasoned striker than the former champion – rocked Adesanya, before hauling him to the mat and submitting him. Awkward but effective sums up Du Plessis, who is unbeaten in the UFC and whose overall MMA record stands at 23-2, with a near-even split of 9 KO/TKOs and 11 submissions in his favour. Furthermore, such is his ungainliness that his cardio across five rounds was doubted, until he outlasted Strickland on two occasions – to win and later retain the title – with nasal surgery helping along the way. Now, Du Plessis's durability is seen as the potential key on Saturday (16 August), if he is to do what no fighter has done: beat Chimaev. The Russian is widely considered the most frightening prospect ever seen in the UFC, although at 31 – and five years into his UFC tenure – he is no longer a prospect. Now, he is a legitimate contender, finally in a title fight. So, why has it taken him so long to reach this point, given his dominance inside the cage? The drawbacks for Chimaev, a relentless wrestler who hits like a truck, have been two-fold. Severe illness has afflicted the 14-0 Chimaev, who once feared he was suffering from cancer after coughing up blood, only to find that the symptoms were related to long Covid. While Chimaev now seems healthy, he has only just overcome another obstacle to his momentum, in the form of travel troubles. It was long rumoured that Chimaev was unable to enter the US, due to his ties to Ramzan Kadyrov – the head of the Chechen Republic, who has been blacklisted by the US over alleged human-rights abuses and crimes against humanity, including murders and torture. In fact, Chimaev last week confirmed his travel ineligibility, though he did not confirm its cause. 'Everyone knows I didn't have a Visa to the US, that's why I didn't fight [there],' he said. 'So now, Donald Trump, he heard, so we go for a fight,' he added, referencing the US president, a close friend of UFC president Dana White. Chimaev's illness and travel issues have meant that he has fought just twice in the last two years, but he initially forged a frightening run in the UFC. In July 2020, the Russian stopped John Phillips and Rhys McKee just 10 days apart. Two months later – switching between welterweight and middleweight – Chimaev bludgeoned Gerald Meerschaert inside 17 seconds. But if Chimaev's momentum felt unsustainable, that's because it was. He submitted Li Jingliang early in his next fight, but that was 11 months after the Meerschaert KO. Then, in 2022, a leap in competition against Gilbert Burns showed the only glimpses of vulnerability in Chimaev so far; he was dropped by the ex-title challenger and only narrowly won on points. Five months later, the UFC seemingly tried to use Chimaev to put Nate Diaz out to pasture, but the 'Wolf' missed weight, and UFC 279 was thrown into disarray. Diaz went on to submit Tony Ferguson on short notice, while Chimaev submitted Kevin Holland. Another impressive, early win, but Chimaev's stock had fallen due to the chaos he caused. Then, another long absence: 13 months before Chimaev narrowly beat ex-170lb king Kamaru Usman, who had stepped in on short notice to debut at middleweight. Around this time, there were also numerous attempts to book Chimaev against Leon Edwards, but Chimaev shouldered the responsibility as each effort failed. As such, his wins over Usman and Whittaker came 12 months apart. But his performance against Whittaker showed that Chimaev's ability had to trump his availability when it came to booking a title fight. Against one of the middleweight greats, Chimaev was unstoppable, shattering Whittaker's jaw with a first-round face crank. It was another terrifying reminder of the efficient violence that Chimaev possesses. On Saturday, that efficient violence goes up against an efficient awkwardness. The result, as far as most fans are concerned, is almost too tough to call. The unpredictability is part of the allure. So is the chaos.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Fighting in UFC is biggest weight I've ever felt
Michael 'Venom' Page says the pressure and expectation that comes with fighting in the UFC is unlike anything else he has ever felt in his Page - nicknamed MVP - signed with the UFC in 2023 after nine years with Bellator, where he built a reputation as one of the promotion's most dangerous and exciting 38-year-old won 16 of 18 fights in Bellator with a number of highlight-reel knockouts. Despite triumphing in two of his three bouts since joining the UFC, Page says the move has "carried a weight"."Usually I go in there and I'm comfortable to fight but I've realised UFC carries a massive weight because of its reputation, its history and the credibility you carry from winning these fights," said Page."It's the biggest weight I've felt from any organisation."Since Bellator was acquired by the PFL in 2023, Page is one of a number of fighters who left to continue their careers in the move has largely been a success but the other athletes have struggled. Former Bellator featherweight and lightweight champion Patricio Pitbull has looked unconvincing, recording one win and one defeat. Ex-Bellator bantamweight title holder Patchy Mix, meanwhile, was outclassed by Mario Bautista on his UFC debut in the co-main event at UFC 319 in Chicago, Illinois on Saturday, Britain's Lerone Murphy faces Aaron Pico - another former Bellator fighter - in a featherweight who faces American middleweight Jared Cannonier on the undercard, says he empathises with the former Bellator athletes who have struggled."I'm starting to see it more and more that the Bellator fighters are not performing the way I know they can," said Page."Pitbull has had a couple of fights and he hasn't looked like the Pitbull I've seen in Bellator - he was unbelievable. "I feel like the magnitude and weight they're carrying isn't allowing them to perform the way they could perform." 'This is my last lap in MMA' The fight with 41-year-old Cannonier represents Page's second successive bout at middleweight after he ended Magomedov's undefeated reign in spending the majority of his 13-year career at welterweight, Page says he has chosen to move up because he was struggling to secure fights in the lower weight class."Nobody at welterweight seems to like action - it's a slow division," said Page."I think there's a lot of people in the latter stage of their careers, so for them every fight means something a bit more."They don't want to take a risky fight, and I feel I represent a lot of risk because of the style I bring."Page's only title fight during his career was against American Logan Storley for the interim welterweight belt in 2022, where he suffered a split decision says competing in fights that "turn heads" is his main goal during the twilight of his career, but he has not given up on becoming a world middleweight belt will be on the line in the main event at Chicago's United Centre as South African champion Dricus du Plessis faces Russia's Khamzat Chimaev."With someone so experienced and dangerous, I can't look past Jared," said Cannonier."But my goal is to get a title fight in my last run. For me I feel like this is my last lap in MMA, and I want to retire from MMA before MMA retires me," said Page. "I'm doing a lot of work in the background to set up the next stage of my life, so for now it's about getting big fights and pushing towards the title."
The Herald Scotland
6 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Ivanka Trump, a jiu-jitsu blue belt, to plan White House UFC fight
The first daughter will be involved in the planning of the historic UFC fight on July 4, 2026, a White House official told USA TODAY. President Donald Trump first introduced the idea of hosting the UFC fight last month while talking about special events around the country to celebrate the anniversary of American independence. "I even think we're going to have a UFC fight," he said during an Iowa rally last month. "We're going to have a UFC fight. Think of this - on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there," he said. "It's gonna be a championship fight, full fight, like 20-25,000 people." Seeing 'oceanfront property' in Ukraine, Trump's real estate history shapes his presidency The president is known to be fascinated with the sport, having attended three UFC events since his election in November. At the Republican National Convention, Dana White, the president of the organization, introduced him to the crowd. White told CBS Mornings that he had chatted with Trump about the event on Aug. 11, and was planning to visit Washington, D.C., toward the end of the month to discuss details with the president and his daughter. "He said, 'I want Ivanka in the middle of this,'" White told 'CBS Mornings.' "So Ivanka reached out to me, and her and I started talking about the possibilities." Meanwhile, Ivana Trump, also of fan of UFC - judging by her social media posts - has talked about her introduction into the martial arts. A mother of three, Ivanka Trump, said her whole family got involved after her daughter Arabella began taking jiu-jitsu lessons. "It's almost like a moving meditation because the movements are so micro," she said in an interview with the YouTube Jui Jitsu Channel. "It's like three-dimensional chess. I'll watch Ultimate Fighting and ... see some of these moves are so subtle. It's fun." Ivanka Trump, who served as a senior advisor in the White House during her father's first term in office, has kept a low profile in the first six months of his second term. But that might be about to change. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal
