An injury has forced Michal Adryszak from KSW 45 and as a result Thiago Silva (20-7) has stepped in to face James McSweeney (15-16) in a mouth watering heavyweight contest at The SSE Arena, Wembley on October 6.
James ‘The Hammer’ McSweeney is a true veteran of the MMA game having competed all over the world, including the UFC and being a cast member of the memorable TUF heavyweight season alongside Kimbo Slice, Brendan Schaub, and Roy Nelson, and he is also a renowned coach having worked directly with some of the biggest names in the sport. Hailing from London, England, McSweeney now returns to compete in his home city for the first time since his win over former KSW champ Marcin Rozalski at KSW 32.
The 37-year-old will be looking to recreate that performance and reestablish himself as a force in the KSW heavyweight division with a win on October 6th. A twelve-fight veteran of the UFC, Brazil’s Thiago Silva is one of the most recognised fighters in the world. The 35-year-old holds career wins over the likes of Matt Hamill, Keith Jardine, Houston Alexander, and James Irvin, and has fought alongside Alexander Gustafsson and Rashad Evans in main events in the UFC.
Silva is a feared striker in MMA with fourteen wins coming by way of TKO/KO and will be aiming to add another devastating finish to that list at KSW 45. This fight joins a stacked card for KSW London that includes a heavyweight title fight between Phil De Fries and Karol Bedorf, a rematch between welterweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and Roberto Soldic, as well as the beginning of a four-man tournament between Michal Materla, Damian Janikowski, Scott Askham, and Marcin Wojcik to crown a new KSW middleweight champion.
And who can forget the unpredictable heavyweight collision between the infamous Popek Monster and bodybuilder & social media star Erko Jun. KSW 45: The Return to Wembley will be live around the world on www.KSWTV.com and tickets are on sale right now from AXS.com.
KSW 45 Fight Card:
Heavyweight TitlePhil De Fries (c) vs. Karol Bedorf
Heavyweight: Popek Monster vs. Erko Jun
Welterweight Title Dricus Du Plessis (c) vs. Roberto Soldic
Opening Round of Middleweight Tournament
Michal Materla vs. Damian JanikowskiScott Askham vs. Marcin Wojcik
Heavyweight: James McSweeney vs. Thiago Silva
Light Heavyweight: Wagner Prado vs. Max Nunes
Light Heavyweight: Akop Szostak vs. TBA*
Lightweight: Leszek Krakowski vs. Alfie Davis
*John Smith has withdrew from this fight, replacement TBA