If you watched UFC 204, you may remember the focused and lively translator, who was doing both Polish and Portuguese speaking fighters. His name is Dariusz Kruczek.
His skills attracted some attention.
How about the fact that the same guy who translated Stasiak’s Polish is now translating Alcantara’s Portuguese?! What a night.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 9, 2016
“>October 9, 2016
Performance of the night bonus for the UFC translator. #UFC204
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) October 9, 2016
“>October 9, 2016
Ufc hires celebrity Guest Translator "Harry Potter " .. big $$$$
— Eddie Alvarez (@Ealvarezfight) October 9, 2016
“>October 9, 2016
Eddie has a point.
Marion Marking for the language industry intelligence site Slator.com recently covered Kruczek’s efforts. Kruczek is Polish, and has worked for the UFC as an interpreter since May of 2014.
The translator was grateful for the recognition from journalists and fighters.
Being appreciated is one of the most beautiful feelings any person could experience, he said. He also recalled the “fantastic feeling” of getting a thumbs up from color commentator Dan Hardy after his very first translation in the Octagon.
Kruczek’s responsibilities include translating what the coaches are saying between rounds. The producer gives Darek a sign “blue corner” or “red corner” and he starts interpreting.
That is extremely difficult as they often say stuff really fast,” he explained. I think my and the fighter’s adrenaline levels come very close at that time.”
“I love the adrenaline rushing in when I hear ‘translator blue corner,’ and the moment it goes away as the coaches take the stools out of the Octagon and my mic is muted.
When the fight is over, Darek steps into the Octagon to translate post-fight interviews for Brazilian or Polish fighters. He also works all fight week assisting with both media duties and things as simple as translating a menu.
He has no formal training as a translator and got started via a post on his social network.
My friend wrote on her Facebook page: Is there anybody here who speaks Portuguese?” he said. “I replied and it turned out there was a Brazilian fighter coming to Warsaw for an interview and she needed somebody to translate for him.
With that informal beginning, when the UFC held their first fight in Poland in April of 2015, Darek reached out.
“Fortunately, they accepted me,” he said. “Since then, whenever an event in Europe appears in the calendar, I pray for a Brazilian and a Pole on the card, so my skills can be useful again.
He has worked at every European UFC since.
There were some critical remarks from native Brazilian Portuguese speakers about his work, but he noted that his translation is influenced by Portugal, although he spent four months in Brazil learning Portuguese.
“I can’t please everybody,” he observed.
So does Darek train in the martial arts?
I am a tennis player,” he explained. And he is also an entrepreneur.
I freelance mostly because I have so many ideas that a full-time job wouldn’t allow me to realize them,” he said. “This summer, for example, I opened a bar by the lake near Warsaw and it was an amazing experience.
What would he be doing if he was not a UFC interpreter?
I would be watching it,” he said. “I love it all the way! Every event is a dream come true.
