Spectacular Polish MMA promotion KSW has confirmed its lineup for the first show of 2022, with two title fights already confirmed for their January 15 event.
KSW 66 will take place at the Netto Arena in Szczecin, Poland on January 15, with the event set to air live on Viaplay across selected European regions, with the rest of the world able to watch live via KSWTV.com and the promotion’s KSW App.
Topping the fight card is a battle for the KSW lightweight championship, as titleholder Marian Ziolkowski set to face off against former KSW welterweight champion Borys Mankowski in a battle between two Polish fan-favourites.
Ziolkowski captured the vacant lightweight strap with victory over Roman Szymanski at KSW 57, then cemented this status as the promotion’s premier 155-pounder with a submission of Maciej Kazieczko at KSW 60.
Now the “Golden Boy” will put his title on the line aginst “The Tasmanian Devil,” Mankowski, who dropped down from 170 to 155 pounds and picked up back-to-back victories over Marcin Wrzocek and Artur Sowinski at KSW 53 and 57, respectively.
Those victories have pushed “The Tasmanian Devil” into championship contention in his new division, and the 32-year-old will look to become a two-division KSW champion by dethroning Ziolkowski on January 15.
Also booked for KSW 66 is a battle for supremacy at 205 pounds, as light heavyweight champion Tomasz Narkun takes on Russian contender Ibragim Chuzhigaev in the night’s co-main event.
Chuzhigaev is unbeaten in his last six outings, stretching back to 2017, but the former ACB/ACA prospect is now targeting gold in KSW, with his six-fight win streak catapulting him straight into a title fight on his promotional debut.
He’ll face a dominant champion, however, with Poland’s Narkun unbeaten at light heavyweight since December 2014, with his run of success including his title victory and five title defenses, plus two catchweight victories over KSW legend and former middleweight champion Mamed Khalidov. His only defeats since 2014 have come in heavyweight title fights, where he twice fell short against champion Phil De Fries.
Now back at his natural weight class, Narkun will look to continue his reign of dominance at light heavyweight by turning back the challenge of a fresh new contender.
KSW officials have also confirmed the upcoming event will also feature the return of former KSW middleweight champion and longtime fan favourite Michal Materla.
