KSW 120 Preview: Haratyk Leśko 2, Szpilka returns

KSW head to the north of Poland for their annual seaside show. KSW 120 will take place in the Polsat Plus Arena in Gdynia, part of the tricity area alongside Sopot and Gdańsk. Nine fights are on deck, including one for an international KSW championship.

A rematch from KSW 111 takes pride of place at the top of the card, with KSW Light Heavyweight Champion Rafał Haratyk (21-5-2) making his third title defence. The Pole beat Damian Piwowarczyk for the strap, before beating Marcin Wójcik by knockout and winning a decision in his last bout. The 38-year-old is an EFC and ACA veteran and he’s known for his attacking fighting style. The Berserker packs a hell of a punch, scoring seven knockout wins. The Bielsko-Biało man has some decent chokes in his arsenal as well, scoring five tapouts, however since joining KSW, his fists have been doing the talking. Bartosz Leśko (16-6-2) comes seeking revenge for the unanimous decision loss last October. The Pole did get back into the win column in March with a decision victory over Bartosz Szewczyk. This will be his tenth KSW appearance and he is also an ACA veteran. The 30-year-old’s skillset is more weighted towards grappling, possessing strong wrestling and he’s a master of the rear naked choke, using the move to achieve seven tap outs. He’s tough and gritty, and he’ll want to turn this into a gruelling affair.

Artur Szpilka (5-1) is one of KSW’s biggest stars alongside his two beautiful dogs, and he was a boxer before switching codes. The 37-year-old was a junior European champion and a national champion as an amateur, following it up with a stellar professional career which saw him compete against Deontay Wilder for the WBC Heavyweight title. The Pole has the perfect personality for this promotion, combining an exciting fighting style with a larger-than-life character. The Wieliczka man has finished all wins within the distance, predominantly due to his striking. He shocked a lot of people by submitting Eroll Zimmerman with an arm triangle in April 2025. “The Pin” picked up an impressive knockout win over Michal Martínek back in December. Augusto Sakai (17-7-1) is a nine-fight UFC veteran, and has also appeared for Bellator. The Brazilian entered KSW to face Phil de Fries for the heavyweight crown and fell short. The 35-year-old likes to do his damage on the feet, amassing an impressive eleven knockout wins to date. The Curitiba man is a solid block and he likes to set his feet and throw big punches. He doesn’t have any fear in him.

Sebastian Przybysz (14-5-1) is a former two time KSW bantamweight champion and he will be playing the part of local ticket seller. The 32-year-old has long trained out of the Mighty Bulls team in the city, now also doing his main work out of WCA in Warsaw. The Gdańsk man makes the walk for the seventeenth time in the promotion, and he’s a very well rounded competitor. The Pole is a really slick grappler who has many ways to skin a cat, using a wide array of techniques to submit five opponents. On the feet, he’s very competitive, goes to the body and head with his boxing, and he’ll keep a high pace, throwing lots of volume. Five victories have come via strikes. Edgars Skrīvers (17-5) is a PFL and ACA veteran and this is his KSW debut. The Latvian turned pro all the way back in 2010 and he’s travelled around the globe a few times since then. The 35-year-old comes from a karate background and has twice competed for the Karate Combat title. The “Bearslayer” has seven knockout wins. In the submission exchanges, he likes to utilise armlocks and chokes.

Laïd Zerhouni (15-10) is a delightful name to see on a fight card, a man who guarantees entertainment. The Frenchman is looking to bounce back from a December defeat to Paweł Pawlak for the middleweight belt. The 30-year-old is more explosive that picric acid, flying out of the blocks like a greyhound. The Montpellier man has the power of Zeus in his hands, and if he connects clean, you’ll wake up staring up at the bright lights. He’s also adept at the rear naked choke. Bartosz Kurek (6-0) is a promising up-and-comer and he’s already won four KSW bouts. The Pole had a great decision win against Tommy Romanowski in March in Gorzów. Before that was two knockout victories over Adrian Dudek and Damian Mieczkowski. He began life as a pro with a triangle choke win, showing submission acumen. As an amateur, he struggled with submission defence and he’s never been knocked out in competition.

Adam Niedźwiedź (10-4-1) successfully had his loss to Adrian Zieliński overturned to a no contest due to elbows to the back of the head, and he returns to the cage a year later. The 32-year-old is one of Polish MMA’s slickest BJJ players, and he’s got a list of techniques that’s longer than the Trans-Siberian Railway. The Katowice man picked up a rare omoplata victory in April 2025, and tapped out another with a guillotine before that. His arm triangle is his favourite technique, using the technique to submit five opponents. Do not engage on the ground with this man. Mateusz Pawlik (7-2) is another Mighty Bulls fighter and he’s had his hand raised in victory twice in KSW. The Pole is a tough and durable competitor, and he likes to get in your face and walk you down. The Lębork man is a powerful puncher with two knockout wins and he’s on a five-fight win streak. His only non-injury loss was to a guillotine choke, so it’s vital that he keeps his neck out of dodge here.

Laura Grzyb (2-0) won the IBO Super Bantamweight title in pro boxing in March after a ten round masterclass. That is her second time holding the belt, and she was also a champion at European level. The Pole also competed in pro kickboxing in the FEN organisation. Whatever the code, the 31-year-old has never tasted defeat. She last appeared in October with a beautiful body shot KO that earned a knockout of the night award. Rayla Nascimento (12-11) is an Invicta veteran and will hold a significant MMA experience advantage here. The Brazilian has been competing in the small gloves for a decade and she’s known for being a gritty striker. The 30-year-old has three knockout wins on her record, and she’s used to going all fifteen minutes and managing decisions. Durability will be her strength here, and has only been stopped to strikes once.

Former KSW Light Heavyweight champ Ibragim Chuzigaev (19-6) was last seen in January in a bout that ended in a no contest due to an unintentional eye poke. The Grozny man flies the Turkish flag and he’s had notable title wins against Tomasz Narkun, Ivan Erslan and Bogdan Gnidko. The 35-year-old is looking to rekindle that form, and he’s known for combining a technical striking offence with a slick submission game. He loves to use the arm triangle, his primary method to get his four submission wins. On the feet, he’s knocked out eight opponents. Maciej Różański (15-6) was the victim of the eye poke in the first outing in January. The 37-year-old will be looking to avenge Tomasz Narkun’s defeat and get the win for the Berserker gym. The “Spartan” is a very strong wrestler who loves to smother opponents. His losses were all to top European opposition, and he utilises a plethora of chokes, earning nine submission wins to date.

Grzegorz Stabach (4-1) got felled by a body shot in his KSW debut last July, having been perfect as a pro before then. The Białogard man had a lengthy amateur career, with most of his finishes coming by way of submission. In the paid ranks, he’s looked impressive on the feet with a knockout threat. He also had a heel hook victory in his second fight. This young man has a lot of upside. Przemysław Górny (6-5) is a battle hardened Bellator veteran who has won four of his last six bouts. The Pole is an exciting boxer, happy to dig deep into the body as well as the head, with the power to end things quickly. The Berserker Team man has five knockout wins on his record already. Defensively it has been submission defence that’s caused him issues.

Oskar Strachura (2-1) lost his pro debut to potential megastar Souheil Kaouchen in May 2025. The 21-year-old took a pair of fights in Strife after that to gain some pro experience, and he used his grappling to pick up two finishes. The Pole has almost twenty amateur fights under his belt, and submissions are where he shines. A technique for every occasion, he’s quite adept at the MMA classics such as the triangle, armbar, rear naked choke and guillotine. His striking game is improving, however I’d expect he’ll want this on the mat. Mateusz Balko (4-0) was a champion on the regional scene and this is his first call-up to the big show. The 22-year-old has fifteen amateur contests of his own, finishing bouts with triangles, armbars and rear naked chokes. As a pro, he has two standing knockout wins, proving he’s not a one trick pony. All four victories were earned before the end of the second round. He is returning from a broken arm that ruled him out of a fight with Souheil Kaouchen in December.

KSW 120 is live from Gdynia at 18:00 Dublin time this Saturday night and the PPV can be purchased at KSWTV.com. If you’re looking for a taste of what’s to come, the first two fights will air for free on Youtube, as well as the infamous KSW opening ceremony.