An interim-KSW featherweight title fight will be take centre stage at KSW 80 this Friday, March 17, in Lubin, Poland, as the undefeated Robert Ruchala (8-0) clashes with top German fighter Lom-Ali Eskiev (20-6) in the main event.
Ruchala made his KSW debut just two-and-a-half years ago and has won five straight fights, which include a pair of wins over previously undefeated stars, two incredible armbar submissions, and a huge victory over veteran Damian Stasiak at KSW 75 – his first main event. This incredible run has firmly establish the 24-year-old’s transition from prospect to one of the top featherweights in Europe.
While Ruchala has been climbing the ranks, Eskiev has been a known name on the European scene for over a decade now. In fact, when Ruchala made his pro debut, Eskiev already had 20 pro fights. The German joined KSW in 2021, winning his first two fights in convincing fashion before narrowly losing a close decision in December.
With KSW featherweight champion Salahdine Parnasse jumping up and winning the interim KSW lightweight title and chasing a fight with Marian Ziolkowski, the 145-pound division will not be put on hold and therefore the interim title was created.
In the co-main event, top U.K. middleweight Tom Breese (15-4) takes on Poland’s Bartosz Lesko (12-2-2). The former UFC fighter has been involved in two controversial finishes so far in KSW and is looking to start fresh again and climb towards the title while Lesko is aiming to score the biggest win over his career and makes a splash in his KSW middleweight debut.
Elsewhere on the card, undefeated French light heavyweight Oumar Sy (7-0) meets “Frankenstein,” Luis Henrique da Silva (19-8) in a potentially explosive bout, wildman Michal Michalski (9-5) is back in action against Georgia’s Giorgi Kvelidze (10-4), and elite striker Emilia Czerwinska (2-0) looks to continue her transition to MMA when she faces the debuting Yasmin Guimaraes (4-1) of Brazil.
KSW 80 is available to watch live exclusively on Viaplay across certain European regions, worldwide on KSWTV.com, and through various broadcast partners around the globe.
The complete KSW 80 card includes:
- Lom-Ali Eskiev vs. Robert Ruchala – for interim featherweight title
- Tom Breese vs. Bartosz Lesko
- Luis Henrique da Silva vs. Oumar Sy
- Michal Michalski vs. Giorgi Kvelidze
- Emilia Czerwinska vs. Yasmin Guimaraes
- Wojciech Kazieczko vs. Danu Tarchila
- Damian Piwowarczyk vs. Bartłomiej Gladkowicz
- Kacper Koziorzebski vs. Borys Borkowski
- Kamil Szkaradek vs. Patryk Chrobak
- Mateusz Janur vs. Andi Vrtacic
