Pawel Pawlak successfully defended his middleweight title for the fourth time by defeating Mamed Khalidov via TKO in the final second of the fourth round. The dramatic finish came at the very last moment of the championship bout. This victory extends Pawlak's reign as KSW middleweight champion and marks another successful title defense against the veteran Khalidov.
Pawel Pawlak delivered a stunning finish to retain the KSW middleweight title on April 19, 2026, stopping Mamed Khalidov via TKO in the final second of round four in one of the most dramatic championship conclusions in recent KSW history.
Pawlak, now 12-3-0, made it four successful defenses of his middleweight belt with the victory. The 37-year-old Polish fighter, who trains out of Octopus Lodz, stands six feet tall with a 73-inch reach and fights out of an orthodox stance. He averaged 1.67 significant strikes landed per minute heading into the bout, complementing his ground game with one takedown per 15 minutes of action.
Khalidov, one of the most decorated veterans in European MMA, entered the contest as a formidable challenger, and the fight appeared destined for the judges' scorecards before Pawlak found the stoppage with virtually no time remaining on the clock.
Why it matters
- Pawlak's fourth consecutive title defense cements him as one of the most dominant middleweight champions in KSW history
- The dramatic finish over a name as significant as Khalidov raises Pawlak's profile considerably within European MMA
- At 37, Pawlak continues to perform at a championship level, keeping the KSW middleweight division firmly in his grip
- The manner of the finish — a TKO with one second left in round four — will fuel conversations about where Pawlak ranks among the promotion's all-time greats
