Eddie Hall during training. Photo: Instagram / Eddie Hall
Being able to lift hundreds of kilograms impresses anyone. But in MMA, even the strongest man in the world can discover that lifting weights is much easier than getting up after being knocked out. Strongman champions Mariusz Pudzianowski and Eddie Hall, a discipline that combines tests of strength and endurance with extreme loads, also decided to test their limits in combat sports, and fell far short of achieving the same success they had in strength competitions.
Although they have built positive records in MMA, the trajectories of these giants in the octagon have shown that physical strength is only one part of the equation and that dominating enormous weights does not necessarily mean dominating opponents.
Mariusz Pudzianowski, the first five-time Strongman champion in history and considered by many to be the greatest athlete in the sport, donned the gloves and built a record of 17 wins and 10 losses in professional MMA. Throughout his career, the Polish fighter shared the octagon with renowned names such as former UFC champion Tim Sylvia, star Bob Sapp, and Rolles Gracie, a member of the most traditional family in Jiu-Jitsu.
When force wasn't enough against Tim Sylvia
Excited by his victories in his first two MMA fights, the Polish giant took it a step further and agreed to face former UFC champion Tim Sylvia. However, things got out of control.
After an aggressive start, in which he tried to take Sylvia down at all costs, Pudzianowski realized that physical strength alone would not be enough. The strongest man in the world then engaged in a clinch, but quickly began to show signs of fatigue.
With his injuries clearly showing, Mariusz eventually succumbed to the blows of his experienced opponent and was defeated by technical knockout in the second round.
Pudzianowski runs over Bob Sapp
Despite discovering in that fight that his strength had a limit within MMA, Pudzianowski continued to face well-known names in combat sports. At KSW, the Pole made short work of Bob Sapp, overwhelming the former PRIDE star in the first round.
Pudzianowski went on the offensive from the first seconds and imposed his physical game, eventually managing to take Sapp down and punish him with ground and pound. The pressure was enough to force the referee to stop the fight, securing a resounding victory for the Polish giant.
Rolles Gracie also becomes a victim.
Another big name who ended up becoming a victim of Pudzianowski was Rolles Gracie, a member of the legendary Gracie family.
The Brazilian, carrying the weight of the most traditional surname in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, couldn't withstand the Pole's firepower. Pudzianowski landed a powerful right hand and knocked Rolles down in the first round, securing another knockout victory.
The reunion with another of the strongest men in the world.
At 49 years old, Mariusz Pudzianowski built a solid career in MMA, mainly in KSW, although far from the big stages of the UFC. In recent years, however, the Pole has faced a period of decline and has accumulated negative results in his last appearances. Among those responsible for adding to this list is none other than another Strongman giant: Eddie Hall.
As expected, the duel between two of the strongest men in the world began with a physical clash in the center of the ring. The younger Hall managed to impose his rhythm, took Pudzianowski to the ground and quickly began punishing him with ground and pound strikes.
The pressure was enough to secure Eddie Hall's victory in the first round.
Eddie Hall: From record-breaking brute strength to bizarre MMA participation
Eddie Hall, the 2017 Strongman champion, made a name for himself in the sport by achieving one of the most impressive feats in the history of strength competitions: the 500 kg deadlift. In combat sports, however, the British giant's career is much shorter and marked by less impressive results.
Besides his victory over Mariusz Pudzianowski, Hall had few appearances in combat sports. In boxing, the Briton was defeated by Thor Bjornsson and Tommy Fury. He also participated in one of the most unusual confrontations in the World Freak Fight League, when he faced the Neffati brothers in a two-on-one fight.
On that occasion, Hall used his physical advantage to dominate his opponents and even threw one of the brothers to the ground before knocking out the pair, in a scene that quickly caught the attention of social media.
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