November 23, 2024

Damian Janikowski vs. Yannick Bahati, Michal Andryszak vs. Philip De Fries booked for KSW 43

MMAfighting.com

Olympic wrestling bronze medalist, Damian Janikowski, will take on former BAMMA and EFC champion, Yannick Bahati, in the main event of KSW 43 in Wroclaw, Poland on Apr. 14.

Lowking.pl first reported the news on Saturday. On Monday, MMANytt.com reported that Bahati had signed a four-fight deal with KSW. Later on Monday, KSW confirmed the main event to MMA Fighting.

A native of Worclaw, Janikowski transitioned to MMA on the back of a stellar wrestling career that saw him claim Olympic bronze in 2012 following his silver medal performance at the World Championships in 2011.

He is currently 2-0 as a professional mixed martial artist. He scored a first round TKO win over Julio Gallegos in his debut at the record breaking KSW 39. He banked another stoppage win at KSW 41 when he finished Antoni Chmielewski — a veteran of nearly 50 fights — in the second round of their middleweight showdown.

Bahati will come into the fight after dropping both his EFC and BAMMA titles with back-to-back losses. He captured the EFC title with a shoulder lock submission when he fought JP Kruger in May 2016. A year later, he scored another submission win over Matthew Hallam to secure the BAMMA title.

Dricus Du Plessis — who meets Roberto Soldic for the KSW welterweight on the same night — dethroned Bahati with a first round guillotine at EFC 62 in August. A month later, Bahati lost his BAMMA championship when Mike Shipman stopped him in the first round.

Earlier in the night, Philip De Fries is set for his KSW debut when he takes on Polish heavyweight goliath, Michal Andryszak, in a meeting for the promotion’s vacant heavyweight title. Sherdog.com first reported the fight’s booking on Monday, KSW later confirmed the bout to MMA Fighting.

The towering Brit put pen to paper with KSW last month on the back of his first round guillotine submission of fellow British heavyweight, James Thompson. Andryszak rides a six-fight win streak into the event. He recorded a quick TKO over Brazilian, Fernando Rodrigues Jr., in his last fight at KSW 41.

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