KSW 88 Preview: Rutkowski v Kaczmarczyk in the Battle of Radom

KSW return with their eleventh show of the year this Saturday and it’s going to be a loud one. The Hala RCS Sport will play host to KSW 88: Battle of Radom. Nine fights will take place in front of one of the most raucous fans in Poland.

The main event features two local fighters defending their patch. Daniel Rutkowski (16-3) is the veteran and current King of Radom. The 34-year-old was simultaneously the FEN and Babilon MMA 145lb champ before signing for KSW, where he also competed against Salahdine Parnasse for the belt. The Cross Fight Radom man began his combat sport journey as a Polish champion Greco-Roman wrestler, however Rutek has developed a fantastic kickboxing game since then, with his finishes coming almost exclusively through knockouts. He has also competed in pro boxing. Patryk Kaczmarczyk (10-2) is the young upstart who made the callout to begin with. The 25-year-old started out in Armia Fight Night, where he won their championship sabre. The Radom Taekwondo Club man has that “it” factor, he talks the talk and most of the time walks the walk. Confidence in abundance, he dominated many of his early fights with a heavy top wrestling game. The Prince of Radom has been drilling his striking like a madman throughout and it’s starting to pay dividends in the stand-up exchanges. Watch out for those knees. Rutkowski is the current pride male, can Kaczmarczyk depose the king or is it a step too far too soon?

Bartosz Leśko (13-3-2) makes his third appearance in the KSW cage of 2023. The former ACA and FEN veteran  is a very good wrestler that trains out of the Mighty Bulls in Gdynia with the likes of Sebastian Przybysz. The 27-year-old is the master of taking your back and sinking in the choke. He also has power on the feet if his usual method of victory doesn’t work. Piotr Kuberski (12-1) is a newcomer from FEN. The Ankos MMA Poznań man has got dynamite in his hands and puts it on you from the first bell. The Pole generally gets you out of there in the first few rounds, however he has the heart and cardio to go the distance.

Marcin Wójcik (18-8) is returning to KSW after stints in FEN and PFL. The 34-year-old is a heavy hitter with nine knockout wins. “The Giant”’is also an accomplished grappler with a great choke game. Win or lose, he very rarely goes to a decision. Luis Henrique da Silva Junior (19-9) is a former UFC fighter. The Brazilian famously knocked out Tomasz Narkun with a front kick to the face. The 34-year-old is a KO artist who’s coming in to stand and bang.

Stefan Vojcak  (6-1) is a very well rounded up-and-comer who uses his size well. The 33-year-old uses his weight to stay heavy in the submission game and he’s known to go for knockouts early. Kamil Gawryjołek (5-0) is a man who sprints out of the block like he’s doing the 100 metres. Each of his wins have come in the first round. The 26-year-old Pole has big knockout power in his kickboxing game, and has decent wrestling to compliment it.

Anita Bekus (7-3) is a former champion fitness competitor who has transitioned into a very promising martial artist. The 33-year-old trains out of Octopus Łódź alongside KSW champions Paweł Pawlak and Adrian Bartośinski, as well as veteran Kasia Sadura and Kinga Jendrasik on the ladies fight team. The Bydgoszcz native has some power on the feet and uses strength as her main weapon, particularly in the wrestling game where once she gets a hold of you, she’s hard to shift. Maria Silva (9-1) has twice appeared on the Contender Series and is a former ARES fighter. The 27-year-old has a great choke game and has solid wrestling. The Brazilian mixes up well in the striking to open up takedowns.

Albert Odzimkowski (13-7) is a man who is commonly found at the Polish commentary desk at KSW shows. The Radom man is hugely popular and will have the crowd unified and loudly cheering him on Saturday. The 35-year-old started out as a judoka before adding boxing to the mix. He is hugely exciting and has a fantastic finishing instinct. The Skra MMA man has good submissions and power on the feet. Stepping in on short notice is Jorge Bueno (10-3). The Brazilian lost his KSW debut in Liberec against Dominik Humburger, another time he took on a hometown fighter. The 34-year-old has also competed for Cage Warriors with great kickboxing and is a known knockout artist.

Daniel Tărchilă (6-2) is a young man talented way beyond his years. The 20-year-old has a lot of experience already, and has shown he’s got a very well rounded skill set to boot. The Moldovan has an exciting kickboxing game and solid submissions. He’s tough and durable. Ramzan Jembiev (4-1) is a man who found his way into MMA from ”King of the Streets”, an underground fight club promotion. The 23-year-old formerly trained with Salahdine Parnasse and he WOWed the crowd in his debut with a massive head kick knockout. We’re about to find out if this man is for real.

Krystian Bielski (9-5) is another man who is well liked for his exciting fight style. The 30-year-old has a very good kickboxing game with a savage high kick. The Pole has finishing abilities and is tough with good cardio. Konrad Rusiński (5-1) is another last minute replacement. The 26-year-old comes in from Babilon MMA where he competed for their 170lb title against Łukasz Siwiec. The Pole has a nasty guillotine and a lovely rear naked choke.

Jacek Gać (2-0) is another newbie and is a training partner of the likes of Arek Wrzosek and Radek Paczuski. The 32-year-old is a talented kickboxer with heavy hitting knockout chops. Nobody has got out of the first round with him so far. Michał Gnaidy (1-0) is a talent coming out of Czerwony Smok in Poznań. The 25-year-old has a deadly guillotine in his arsenal and his striking game is coming on leaps and bounds. 

KSW 88 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 (including the U.K.).