Mariusz Pudzianowski meets Olympic gold medalist Szymon Kolecki in KSW 47 main event

Mariusz Pudzianowski will take on Olympic weightlifting gold medalist Szymon Kolecki in the main event of KSW 47 in Lodz, Poland on Mar. 23.

KSW officially announced the fight at the beginning of Saturday’s KSW 46 broadcast.

A five-time World’s Strongest Man, Pudzianowski (12-6-0) has been a Polish fan favorite ever since his debut back in 2009. Although many were skeptical about his transition to MMA, he has earned his stripes in the sport, contesting 18 bouts to date and claiming notable wins over Rolles Gracie, Oli Thompson, and Sean McCorkle.

Kolecki (6-1-0) won an Olympic silver medal at the Sydney Games in 2000 before taking gold in 2008. He switched his focus to MMA in 2017 and gathered momentum quickly, taking five first-round wins in as many bouts over 15 months. He tasted defeat for the first time in his last outing, dropping a decision loss Michal Bobrowski at Babilon MMA 5 in August.

Kolecki has contested bouts as a heavyweight and as a light heavyweight. Most recently he has competed in the lighter weight class.