The main event for KSW 117 is official after both fighters successfully made championship weight. Middleweight champion Pawel Pawlak weighed in at 83.9 kg and will defend his title against former champion Mamed Khalidov, who came in at 83.6 kg. This bout represents a significant matchup in European MMA, with Khalidov being a legendary figure in KSW history. The weight cut posed no issues for either fighter, ensuring the championship fight will proceed as scheduled. This is a title defense for Pawlak against one of the promotion's most storied competitors.
Pawel Pawlak will put his KSW middleweight title on the line against Mamed Khalidov at KSW 117, with both fighters clearing the 83.9 kg and 83.6 kg marks respectively at the official weigh-in, confirming the championship bout will proceed as scheduled.
Pawlak, 37, enters the fight as the reigning KSW middleweight champion carrying a professional record of 12 wins and 3 losses. The Polish fighter, who trains out of Octopus Lodz, stands six feet tall with a 73-inch reach and competes out of an orthodox stance. He lands 1.67 significant strikes per minute with a 33 percent striking accuracy, and adds a takedown per 15 minutes to his game, making him a measured and composed champion.
Khalidov needs no introduction to KSW audiences. A former champion and one of the most celebrated figures in European MMA history, the Polish-based fighter brings a legendary résumé into the cage and represents the sternest possible test for any middleweight holding gold in the promotion.
Why it matters
- Pawlak faces his toughest title defense to date against a former champion with deep KSW history
- A Khalidov victory would mark a significant title recapture for one of European MMA's iconic names
- The stylistic contrast between Pawlak's measured striking and Khalidov's experience creates a compelling championship dynamic
- The clean weigh-in removes any pre-fight uncertainty, guaranteeing the main event proceeds at full championship stakes
