Fresh on the heels of its historic show in Warsaw, Poland, a show that saw in excess of 57,000 people descend on the PGE stadium, KSW will pitch up in Dublin, Ireland this coming Sunday for it’s 40th event, headlined by Mariusz Pudzianowski and James McSweeney.
It’s a risky move as the UFC will be enthralling audiences in nearby Gdansk, Poland on Saturday. Given that this is the case, KSW are still managing to pack in a substantial crowd. KSW 40 is now officially the fastest selling MMA event outside of the UFC in Ireland. It’s fight week and already 80% of the tickets have been sold. When you consider last minute ticket purchases and those which will be obtained on the night KSW 40 is on track to be a sell out come Sunday evening.
Given that this is KSW’s first foray into Ireland, you can imagine that the promotion will be pleased at its achievement from a standing start, especially considering the competition already established in the region. Both BAMMA (with its new ally Bellator MMA) and Cage Warriors FC have never opened the upper tier of the 3Arena, a feat which is reflected in KSW’s CEO and co-founder Maciej Kawulski’s upbeat words.
“KSW continues to break records,” Kawulski said. “It’s our very first show in Ireland, a new market for us, and the response so far has exceeded our expectations. We knew we would have the support of the Polish living in Ireland, but the Irish MMA fans have bought tickets in their droves.”
This initial success builds on the packed attendance that enabled their Wembley Arena show to be the hottest ticket in town. It also bodes well for 2018, when the promotion will look to consolidate its existing position as Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion.
“Great UK based promotions have staged events in the 3Arena,” said Kawulski. “We have outsold them on our first trip into this region. If you break international records you’re a good businessman, if you break local records you are a conqueror. We like to be both.”
KSW 40 goes down on Sunday, October 22nd, and WHOA TV will be on deck bringing you the fight week build-up and the behind the scenes stories that emerge via Bloody Elbow.