Mamed Khalidov Blasts Michal Materla in 31 Seconds for Middleweight Gold at KSW 33

Mariusz Pudzianowski might be Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki's biggest star, but Mamed Khalidov is the promotion's greatest fighter. Saturday at Tauron Arena in Krakow, Poland, Khalidov proved it once more, demolishing Michal Materla in 31 seconds and taking middleweight gold in the main event of KSW 33.

KSW boldily billed the Materla-Khalidov clash as the “biggest fight in European MMA history,” but Khalidov (31-4-2) left little room for anything resembling drama. Within seconds, Khalidov landed a hard right hook that wobbled the champion. Khalidov then sprinted, took flight and bashed Materla (22-5) with a flying knee, another perfect right hook as the champ fell and a dozen rifling punches before referee Piotr Michalak could intervene in barely half a minute.

The 185-pound title capture is Khalidov's 11th consecutive win and it makes him the first fighter to hold KSW hardware in two weight classes, having previously held the Polish promotion's light heavyweight title. Materla's reign ends at four successful title defenses, the longest in KSW history.

“Coco” Karol Bedorf retained his KSW heavyweight title in highlight reel fashion, suddenly clattering his fellow countryman Michal Kita at 2:46 of the second stanza.

The rugged Kita (16-8) roughed Bedorf (13-2) up badly late in round one and early in the second, landing stiff jabs and uppercuts, then punctuating his punches with sharp knees from the clinch. Just as it seemed that “Masakra” was living up to his nickname, the champion circled away, feinted and launched a right roundhouse kick upstairs. Kita blocked low and Bedorf's foot smashed into his jaw, flattening him on the canvas.

The win was the seventh straight for the 32-year-old Bedorf, who made his second successful KSW title defense. Bedorf defeated K-1 veteran Peter Graham via unanimous decision in a non-title bout at KSW 31 this past May.

Polish MMA veteran Artur Sowinski became the first KSW featherweight champion, claiming the vacant crown against slick-grappling Kleber Koike Erbst with a clean 30-27 sweep of the scorecards.

Sowinski (16-7, 2 NC) was superior on the feet and dished out damage from top control as well, exhausting the Japanese-based BJJ ace. Despite his fatigue, Erbst (18-4-1) threatened with an anaconda choke in the second frame and an armbar with less than 90 seconds to go in the final round that put Sowinski in some peril en route to the title.

The loss snapped Erbst's five-year, 14-fight winning streak, with his last previous loss coming to Toshiaki Kitada in October 2009.

Aziz Karaoglu (9-6) earned the biggest win of his 15-year MMA career, punching out UFC and Bellator MMA veteran Maiquel Falcao just 30 seconds into their middleweight tilt. Falcao (35-8) rushed the Turkish-born, German-based puncher from the get-go, only to get wobbled by a right hook. Karaoglu unloaded furious hooks with body hands, then ripped to the body on an overwhelmed Falcao until Tomasz Bronder stepped in for the standing stoppage.

Brazilian muay Thai stylist Ariane Lipski (6-3) won her fourth straight bout with a striking clinic against previously unbeaten Katarzyna Lubonska (3-1). The Curitiba native busted up Lubonska with punches and kicks before launching a high kick in the second frame that smashed Lubonska in the chest and elevated her off the ground, clattering to the mat. Lipski finished the bout off with punches at 3:25 of round two.

Lightweight local Lukasz Chlewicki (13-4-1) showed out for his hometown of Krakow, absorbing the strikes of Gracie Barra Lodz's Bartlomiej Kurczewski (9-6) and battling through a swollen eye to score repeated takedowns en route to a unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).

At 170 pounds, Kamil Szymuszowski (14-4) won his seventh straight bout, eking out a split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) over Germany's David Zawada (11-3) in a bout that started with powerful exchanges, but slowed over its duration, with the Gracie Barra Lodz going to his wrestling and top position skills to seal the deal in the third.

After beefing with one another at Friday's weigh-in, featherweight Anzor Azhiev (6-2, 1 NC) gave Montenegro's Vaso Bakocevic (21-10-1) a reality check, dominating his opponent with superior wrestling for two rounds before locking up the fight-ending arm-triangle choke at 1:39 of the third round.

Planet Eater middleweight Lukasz Bienkowski (4-1) opened the night with a majority decision (29-26, 29-27, 28-28) over Piotr Wawrzyniak (6-3) in an entertaining scrap, with Bienkowski's harder punches and clean knees carrying the action.