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Arguably, the ultimate trilogy fight in KSW (Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki) history will be showcased as the headliner as the legendary Mamed Khalidov (36-8-2, 16 KOs, 16 Subs) goes to war yet again thanks to the long-awaited comeback of former UFC combatant, Scott Askham (19-5, 12 KOs, 2 Subs).
The five-round, 185 lb. battle goes down tonight, June 3, 2023, staged live from the PGE Narodowy in Warsaw, Poland on an eleven bout card. The duo have now each achieved momentous victories over one another with their final skirmish in their prolonged war on the grandest stage of them all, the KSW 83: Colosseum 2 event.
Back in 2019 at KSW 52, the former UFC fighter, also having fought for Absolute Championship Berkut, BAMMA, and Cage Warriors, had amassed a legion of fallen combatants behind him in his build up to finishing Khalidov in a unanimous decision victory, effectively crushing the latter’s plans for a glorious comeback out of retirement. After a year to agonize over the loss, the legendary fighter was overcome by the urge to return to battle for a rematch. He challenged then champion, Askham, for the KSW middleweight title in what would be an epic rematch at KSW 55.
The Cannibal, then 40 years old, turned back the clock and soared through the air to land a switch kick knockout to Arkham, much to the shock of the crowd, and all in under a minute’s time; one of the biggest viral moments in KSW history, resulting in a nomination for the World MMA Awards. KSW refers to it as “one of the greatest moments ever seen in MMA”.
Askham had to wallow in the tragic loss while nursing a near career-ending back injury, with nothing more to do but strategize for his final battle with his epic foe upon his own return. The UK MMA star took an extended camp at American Top Team to prep for his own comeback moment. He will settle for nothing less tonight than a stunning victory over the former KSW Light heavyweight and reigning KSW Middleweight Champion.
The co-main event will showcase a pair of heavy-hitters in a Champ vs Champ KSW Superfight with the current lightweight champ, Marian Ziółkowski (25-8-1, 6 KOs, 13 Subs) laying her title on the line against double-champ Salahdine Parnasse (17-1, 2 KOs, 7 Subs) who currently holds the interim-lightweight and featherweight titles, in her efforts to become the undisputed KSW lightweight champion.
Other notable matches during the event will include, five-time World’s Strongest Man, KSW Legend, Marius Pudzianowski (17-8-1, 12 KOs) locking horns with former WBC heavyweight contender, Artur Szpilka (2-0, 2 KOs) in what KSW proudly refers to as a “mega all-Polish spectacle” heavyweight bout. The card also features a pair of championship bouts, with Patel Pawlak and Tomas Romanowski set to battle it out for the vacant middleweight title, while bantamweight champ, Jake Wiklacz lays his 135lb title on the line against Werlieson Martins.
Over 45,000 tickets have already been sold for XTB KSW Colosseum 2, making it the largest MMA event of the decade so far, with the KSW promotion hoping it will make its mark in the history books, by eclipsing their record of 57,766 from the first “Colosseum” event. KSW is Europe’s largest MMA organization.
KSW 83: Colosseum 2 Results and Highlights
MAIN CARD RESULTS & HIGHLIGHTS
- MAMED KHALIDOV DEF. SCOTT ASKHAM via KO/TKO (Flying Knee & Punches) at 1:03 of Rd 3/3.
- CO-MAIN:
Marian Ziółkowski vs. Salahdine ParnasseBout Cancelled Prior to Event, Reason: Ziółkowski Torn Ligaments During Warmup // Vacates the KSW Lightweight Title…
- Artur Szpilka DEF. Mariusz Pudzianowski via KO/TKO (Punches) at 0:31 of Rd 2/3.
- Pawel Pawlak def. Tomasz Romanowski via KO/TKO (Elbows) at 3:25 of Rd 5/5.
- Arkadiusz Wrzosek def. Bogdan Stoica via sub (forearm choke) at 2:08 Rd 1/3.
- Michal Materla def. Radoslaw Paczuski via KO/TKO (Punches) at 1:37 Rd 1/3.
- A glimpse at the Arena heading into the Main Card…
PRELIMS RESULTS & HIGHLIGHTS
- Valeriu Mircea def. Roman Szymanski via Split Decision / 3 Rds.
- Daniel Rutkowski def. Adam Soldaev via unanimous decision / 3 Rds.
- Leo Brichta def. Maciej Kazieczko via split decision (29-28 x 2, 28-29) / 3 Rds.
- Krzysztof Głowacki def. Patryk Tołkaczewski via KO (punch from the bottom) at 1:33 Rd 1/3.
- Mariusz Joniak def. Sebastian Romanowski via majority decision / 3 Rds.
- KSW 83: Colosseum 2 Opening Ceremony…
Khalidov vs. Askham III Tale of the Tape
| KHALIDOV VS. ASKHAM III | Mamed ‘Cannibal’ Khalidov | Scott Askham |
|---|---|---|
| FIGHTING OUT OF | Olsztyn, Poland | Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England |
| AGE AT FIGHT | 42yrs, 10mos, 3wks, 3 days | 35yrs, 2 wks |
| PRO CAREER | 18 years | 13 years |
| HEIGHT | 6’0″ (183cm) | 6’3″ (191cm) |
| REACH | 76.4″ (194cm) | 75.0″ (191cm) |
| DIVISION | Middleweight | Middleweight |
| STYLE | Kyokushin, Taekwondo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| TITLES | KSW-LHW, KSW-MW | None to Date |
| PRO RECORD AT FIGHT | 38-6-2, 16KOs, 16Subs | 19-5, 12KOs, 2Subs |
| KNOCKOUT % | 44.45% | 63.16% |
| LAST 5 BOUTS | W L W L L | L W W W W |
| INACTIVE | 166 Days | 964 Days |
KSW 83 Full Fight Card
Main Card
| DIVISION | FIGHTER # 1 | FIGHTER # 2 | TITLES |
|---|---|---|---|
| middleweight 83.9kg/185lb. | Mamed Khalidov3 36-8-2, 16KO, 16sub | Scott AskhamC 19-5, 12KO, 2sub | KSW Lightweight Title |
| lightweight championship 70.3kg/155lb. | Marian ZiółkowskiC 25-8-1, 6KO, 13sub | Salahdine Parnasse 17-1, 2KO, 7sub | KSW Middleweight Vacant Title |
| heavyweight 120.2kg/265lb. | Mariuiz Pudzianowski6 17-8-1, 12KO | Artur Szpilka 2-0, 2KO | |
| middleweight championship 83.9kg/185lb. | Pawel Pawlak1 21-4-1, 10KO, 3sub | Tomasz Romanowski2 18-8, 7KO, 1sub | KSW Bantamweight Title |
| heavyweight 120.2kg/265lb. | Arkadiusz Wrzosek 2-0, 1KO | Bogdan Stoica 0-0 | |
| middleweight 83.9kg/185lb. | Michal Materla5 32-9, 12KO, 13sub | Radosław Paczuski7 5-1, 4KO | |
| lightweight 70.3kg/155lb. | Roman Szymański2 17-6, 4KO, 4sub | Valeriu Mircea3 28-8-1, 12KO, 12sub |
Prelim card
| DIVISION | FIGHTER # 1 | FIGHTER # 2 |
|---|---|---|
| featherweight 65.8kg/145lb. | Daniel Rutkowski2 15-3-1, 7KO, 1sub | Adam Soldaev6 7-1, 4KO, 1sub |
| lightweight 70.3kg/155lb. | Maciej Kazieczko 9-2, 6KO | Leo Brichta 10-3, 5KO, 4sub |
| heavyweight 120.2kg/265lb. | Krzysztof Głowacki 0-0-0 | Patryk Tolaczewski 0-0-0 |
| welterweight 66.68kg/147lb. | Mariusz Joniak 11-4, 1KO, 8sub | Sebastian Romanowski 14-11-1, 4KO, 2sub |
Start time and date
KSW 83: Colosseum 2 ‘Mamed Khalidov vs. Scott Askham’ airs tonight live around the world at 12:00 p.m. ET (Saturday, June 3rd., 2023). Ring walks for the main event are TBD. Times are subject to change depending on the length of the scheduled undercard bouts on the card..
Tickets
Tickets for the XTB KSW 83: Colosseum 2, ‘Mamed Khalidov vs. Scott Askham’ event at the PGE Narodwy. National Stadium, in Warsaw, Poland, are available here, ranging from PLN 50-PLN 3000. If you are interested in renting a VIP box for this event, please contact the venue at: skybox@2012plus.pl.
Price
KSW 83: Colosseum 2 ‘Mamed Khalidov vs. Scott Askham’ is available to stream on the KSW App or on www.KSWTV.com. as an online PPV (pay-per-view) event starting at PLN 40 | £ 9.99 EUR | $ 9.99 USD | 7.99 GBP.
Where to stream
KSW 83: Colosseum 2 ‘Mamed Khalidov vs. Scott Askham’ is available to stream Live and VoD in Full HD on the KSW App or on www.KSWTV.com. With their “timeshift” capability they offer you the ability to pause, rewind, and forward the live broadcast for up to 72 hours after the initial broadcast.
The event is also streamed on the Viaplay online service.
KSW TV web browser and system requirements
More Information
www.facebook.com/konfrontacja/
www.instagram.com/ksw_mma/
www.twitter.com/KSW_MMA
www.tiktok.com/@ksw
www.youtube.com/user/KSW/videos
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