Former World's Strongest Man Mariusz Pudzianowski beat up the 450-pound former boxer Eric "Butterbean" Esch Saturday in a freak show fight in Poland's KSW mixed martial arts organization.
Pudzianowski went for a takedown early in the first round and got Butterbean on his back, and from there he went straight into side control and just landed punches to Butterbean's enormous head until the referee stopped the fight. Butterbean looked like a fish out of water -- or a beached whale -- and really looked like he didn't feel like fighting at all.
The fight was the main event of the 14th fight card produced by KSW, a burgeoning promotion that is doing relatively big business in Poland. Pudzianowski is one of Poland's most popular athletes, and his involvement in MMA has coincided with something of a boom for the sport in his homeland.
But it wasn't a good fight by any stretch of the imagination. Butterbean was once at least a competent boxer, but that was many years and many pounds ago. Now he's 44 years old and so fat he can hardly throw a punch. The only person who looked worse than Butterbean on the KSW card was the hapless Polish singer who attempted to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" but quit halfway through because he couldn't remember the words.
Pudzianowski says he's serious about MMA. If that's true, he should fight serious opponents.
In other KSW action:
* Jan Blachowicz, regarded as one of Poland's most talented fighters, beat Daniel Tabera by second-round TKO to win KSW's light heavyweight tournament. It was a solid showing, although the Polish TV announcers who suggested afterward that UFC President Dana White should offer Blachowicz a contract may have been overstating how ready Blachowicz is to compete at the highest level.
* Krzysztof Kulak beat Daniel Dowda by unanimous decision in an entertaining fight that was preceded by an even more entertaining ring entrance from the always creative Kulak.
* In a grudge match between two former heavyweight boxers, Przemyslaw Saleta beat Marcin Najman by first-round submission, applying a forearm choke that Najman couldn't answer. It wasn't good MMA, but it was a fast-paced and short fight that got the fans in Poland in a lather.
* Niko Puhakka and Maciej Gorski won two fights apiece Saturday to advance to the finals of KSW's eight-man lightweight tournament; Puhakka will fight Gorski in the final at KSW 15.