‘I hold my hands up’ – Eddie Hall apologises for using illegal move in 30-second KO over MMA rival Mariusz Pudzianowski
EDDIE HALL has apologised to rival Mariusz Pudzianowski for an illegal move.
The British bruiser scored a stunning upset victory on his professional mixed martial arts debut.
Hall went head to head with the rival Polish World Strongest Man winner on a stacked KSW 105 card in Poland on Saturday night.
And despite pre-fight predictions tipping Pudzianowski as the favourite, those ideas were knocked flat within 30 seconds.
The Beast overcame the 16-year difference in experience to KO his opponent within 30 seconds.
He landed a big right hand after pressing the Polish icon against the cage, with the 48-year-old then wobbling and allowing Hall to drop bomb after bomb on a fallen Pudzianowski.
The referee then mercifully waved off the contest, but not before Hall had broken his hand in the process.
However, after the fight Hall issued an apology to Pudzianowski for hitting him in the back of the head.
He confessed: “I do hold my hands up when I say, ‘I’m sorry for hitting you in the back of the head’.
“I don’t condone that, and I wouldn’t want it done to me.”
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It is another victory for Hall after he beat the Neffati brothers, Jamil and Jamel, last time out.
Hall said following his win: “The fight was Mariusz was harder.
“I didn’t break my hand on the Neffati Brothers. But I broke my hand on Mariusz’s face.
“I’d say Mariusz is a much harder fight than the Neffatti Brothers.
“But the Neffati Brothers, they won a 2-vs-1 recently. So fair play to them. They’ve improved. So well done to them.”
Hall underwent a huge body transformation ahead of the fight which saw him shed 45kg, ditching his famous 12,000-calorie-a-day diet in the process.
He admitted he was scared to step in the same ring as the MMA veteran.
Hall said: “If you’re not scared, you’re not nervous then something’s not right.
“Let’s face it, I’m going up against Mariusz Pudzianowski; 26 professional fights, five times World’s Strongest Man.
“He’s a fierce, fierce man and to get in the cage and exchange leather with a man whose had 26 fights? I’ve had one!
“So I’ve got a lot to be scared of and the four-minute rounds has been a tough thing for me to accept as well.
“He’s got a lot of advantages, but I’ve said, ‘Sod it. Why not let him have four-minute rounds? Let’s just get this done.’”