Sebastian Przybysz is back on top of KSW’s bantamweight division.
The Polish fighter reclaimed champ status on Saturday night, going five rounds against veteran Bruno Azevedo to win on scorecards and earn the promotion’s vacant title at 135 pounds. The fight headlined KSW 102, a card from the Radomskie Centrum Sportu in Radom, Poland.
A combination of a superior striking skillset and an ability to shut down many takedown attempts allowed Przybysz to earn a comfortable decision win through five rounds of action.
Przybysz got busy early on the feet, out-landing Azevedo with a high output of leg kicks in the opening round. The sharp boxing of Przybysz also showed up as the fight progressed, mixing punches into an overall well-rounded showcase at stand-up range.
Azevedo’s ability to take the fight down earned him the second and final round on some scorecards, working for submission attempts on the mat against Przybysz.
But the Brazilian’s interest in grappling also generated one of the worst moments for him in the fight, as Przybysz punished a failed takedown in the fourth round by scoring a long string of brutal ground and pound shots, nearly ending the fight. While a stoppage wasn’t found, Przybysz drew a 10-8 score from a pair of judges after the round concluded.
Przybysz is now on his second run with the KSW title, returning to the bantamweight throne just over two years after his first reign came to an end.
The 31-year-old had his reign stopped in late 2022 by Jakub Wiklacz, losing in a split decision result. A second and third meeting between the two in recent years only strengthened Wiklacz’s run, providing a draw and submission loss result for Przbysz.
With Wiklacz departing KSW and subsequently vacating his title last year, top-ranked bantamweight contender Przybysz saw an opening to get the belt back without having to overcome a long-standing rival.
Azevedo entered this weekend with a significant experience edge over Wiklacz, having previously fought in notable promotions around the world like ONE Championship, Shooto Brasil, and Road FC. He earned a title fight after a successful KSW debut in August, submitting Oleksii Polischuck in the second round with an arm triangle choke.
Here are the quick results from KSW’s latest card:
Bout 9: Sebastian Przybysz def. Bruno Azevedo via Decision, Unanimous (Vacant KSW Bantamweight Championship)
Bout 8: Patryk Kaczmarczyk def. Ahmed Vila via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 7: Radoslaw Paczuski def. Kleber Silva
Bout 6: Adam Soldaev def. Danu Tarchila via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 5: Muslim Tulshaev def. Daniel Skibinski via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 1:40)
Bout 4: Wiktoria Czyzewska def. Adrianna Kreft via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 3: Andi Vrtacic def. Cezariusz Kesik via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 4:33)
Bout 2: Piotr Kacprzak def. Julio Cesar Neves via Submission, Triangle Choke (RD 3, 2:19)
Bout 1: Miha Frlic def. Kamil Gawryjolek via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 2:11)
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