Fight Facts: KSW 2024, a Year in Review

Poland’s KSW promotion reached new heights in 2024, staging a record number of events and bouts while leaving its home nation repeatedly to expand its reach. The spectacle-based organization put on a special show in February, mixing the rules of mixed martial arts and even bringing back Pride Fighting Championships Rules for 74 glorious seconds. The bombastic league featured a two-division champ that will not seek greener pastures, a dominant beltholder that did depart for greater opportunities and a heavyweight champion like no other.

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TOTAL NUMBER OF KSW FIGHTS IN 2024: 119
TOTAL NUMBER OF KSW EVENTS IN 2024: 13
Knockouts: 22
Technical Knockouts: 33
Submissions: 20
Decisions: 44
Draws: 0
No Contests: 0

KSW vs. Oktagon, Make It Happen: More than any previous year, KSW held 119 fights across 13 events, taking to both France and the Czech Republic as well as its home country of Poland. It also ran more title fights (12) than ever.

Hello Paris: Far from its gala event of KSW Colosseum 2 last year, KSW did set a record in Paris for the most fans in attendance at an event. The 16,000-plus in the building at La Defense Arena exceeds shows put on by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bellator MMA and Professional Fighters League.

Fight Nights and Tentpoles: Deviating from the norm, not every KSW event conclude with a title tilt in 2024. However, of the 13 winners on marquee matchups, the company doled out eight post-fight bonus checks.

Give Fries a Chance: Heavyweight kingpin Phil De Fries defended his throne twice in 2024, outworking Augusto Sakai and then battering Darko Stosic in their rematch. The Brit has now kept an iron grip on his belt 11 times in a row, tying Demetrious Johnson for the most consecutive defenses in a major organization—if KSW is considered a major.

Interim Assistant to the Regional Manager: Robert Ruchala made history for the promotion by becoming the first fighter to earn multiple interim straps, claiming his second at KSW 100. He also became the lone competitor ever have to defend his interim title, doing so by wiping out Kacper Formela at that fight card.

Like Gamrot and Du Plessis: Former bantamweight champion Jakub Wiklacz initially claimed the crown against Sebastian Przybysz in late 2022. Three subsequent defenses including an ultra-rare technical decision scored as a draw led to him vacating his championship this year and departing in hopes of a UFC signing. Ex-beltholder Przybysz is vying for the vacant strap in January.

A Frenchman in Gdansk: While his three-division aspirations disintegrated in 2023, Parnasse kept a firm hold of his lightweight belt this year. The Frenchman unified it against interim champ Valeriu Mircea and then held onto it against Wilson Varela—he has not put featherweight gold on the line since August 2023.

Not So Fast, Kid: In the main attraction of KSW 100, unbeaten welterweight champ Adrian Bartosinski tested his mettle against legendary 44-year-old Mamed Khalidov at 185 pounds. The longtime beltholder defied the odds and snared Bartosinski with a shocking armbar.

King of KSW: Scoring the upset over Bartosinski, Khalidov notched or improved a number of records with the organization. The Olsztyn, Poland, native celebrates the most wins in KSW history (22), along with the most bonuses (12), finishes (19), submissions (11) and armbars (four), as well as headlining appearances (16) and the second-most bouts overall (28).

Late Is Still Good: To snag the interim 145-pound strap, Mircea tapped Leo Brichta with a rear-naked choke late into their affair. The fourth-round finish is the sixth among championship bouts, with Parnasse responsible for three of those six.

Vanilla: Even though draws, no contests and disqualifications do not happen very often, KSW had an unusual year in 2024. No fight was scored even, no bout overturned or ruled a no contest and no fighter was disqualified.

More: Last year, Parnasse dispatched Ruchala with a company-first soccer kick stoppage. Muslim Tulshaev took advantage of the “No Holds Barred” rules implemented in his match at KSW Epic to wipe the floor with Konrad Rusinski, courtesy of ruthless soccer kicks.

Old Days of KSW Were Wild: For the first time in years with KSW, fighters squared off wearing gis. Both Piotr Kacprzak and Adam Brysz squared off sporting traditional martial arts garb, and Kacprzak settled for a 78-second punch out of his opponent.

Hot Shot, Part Deux: Connecting at 4:11 of the second round, Brysz cleaned Hugo Deux’ clock with a spinning back elbow at KSW 96. His is the second knockout of its type in organizational history, with the first by Patryk Likus at KSW 65.

Normal, Everyday Tactic: One KSW fighter tapped to strikes in 2024: Kleber Silva, when Sergiusz Zajac bombarded him with elbows at KSW 97. Submissions due to strikes are far more common in this promotion than those run stateside.

Laid Him Out: In 12 seconds, Laid Zerhouni slept Bartosz Fabinski with a flurry of punches at KSW 90. Clocking in as the fastest of the year, it is also the fourth-quickest finish in the history of the promotion.

Always the Big Men: Performing the third forearm choke under the KSW lights, Michal Turynski tapped Patryk Tolkaczewski with one at KSW 94. All three of these subs have been performed by heavyweights in the first round.

Bass-Ackwards: While no triangle armbar played out in the confines of the KSW cage this year, Ewelina Wozniak made company history by forcing Aleksandra Toncheva Plamenova to surrender to a reverse triangle choke. Her unorthodox maneuver is the first one seen in KSW.