KSW 80: Robert Ruchala and Lom-Ali Eskiev to battle for featherweight crown
- Planet Sport writer
- 15 March 2023
The interim-KSW featherweight title fight will be take centre stage at KSW 80 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.
Two of those victories came against previously undefeated stars, two by incredible armbar submissions, and a huge victory over veteran Damian Stasiak at KSW 75 - his first main event.
This incredible run has seen him 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 had already twenty pro fights.
The German joined KSW in 2021 winning his first two fights in convincing fashion before narrowly loosing a close decision in December.
With KSW featherweight champion Salahdine Parnasse jumping up and winning the interim-KSW lightweight title & chasing a fight with Marian Ziolkowski, the 145lb division will not be put on hold and therefore the interim title was created.
In the co-main event, top UK 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' (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 - which takes place on Friday, March 17, in Lubin, Poland - is available to watch live exclusively on Viaplay across certain European regions, worldwide on KSW TV.
