Mateusz Kisielewski says KSW only asked if he wanted to fight Tagir Machmudov, not a formal offer; he turned down the filler role, still targets the UFC and has no new offers.
What you need to know
- Kisielewski says KSW's contact about Tagir Machmudov was a question, not a concrete contract offer.
- He declined to be a filler but would take that role for a UFC debut.
- He says he is a better fighter now and has no new concrete offers from other promotions.
Reported, not confirmed
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Kisielewski says KSW only asked whether he wanted to fight Tagir Machmudov and that it was not a concrete contract offer.
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Kisielewski turned down the Machmudov fight because it would have tied him to a contract or made him a filler.
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Kisielewski says he would accept a filler role for a UFC debut; the UFC remains his main goal.
InTheCage
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Kisielewski says he would consider a longer KSW deal if it guaranteed opponents and room to develop.
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Kisielewski has no new concrete offers from other promotions.
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Mateusz Kisielewski's name keeps coming up around the big promotions, and after beating Wawrzyniec Bartnik he has explained what really happened when KSW came calling. The short version: there was contact, but no offer he could have signed.
On the Igor Fight Zone channel he was asked about earlier comments from KSW sporting director Wojsław Rysiewski about interest in him. Kisielewski confirmed the contact but would not call it a proposal. According to him, KSW simply asked whether he wanted to fight Tagir Machmudov.
The terms were vague. He described a choice between stepping in for someone who had dropped out or taking the fight with time to prepare. Either route, he said, meant tying himself to a contract or becoming a filler. "I don't like playing the role of a filler" (translated), he said.
He is not against the role in every case. For a first fight in the UFC, he said, he would not hesitate. The UFC remains his main goal, and that is the yardstick he applies to any offer.
Looking back, he thinks he made the right call. He says he is a different fighter now, more professional and more serious about his career, and that a proposal would land at a better moment today. His recent wins, he argues, give him a stronger negotiating position.
KSW is not closed off. He said a good contract is one that lets him develop and guarantees opponents, and that such a deal would be open to discussion. For now he has no new concrete offers from other promotions, so the next step depends on who calls first, and on what they put on the table.
On the Igor Fight Zone channel he was asked about earlier comments from KSW sporting director Wojsław Rysiewski about interest in him. Kisielewski confirmed the contact but would not call it a proposal. According to him, KSW simply asked whether he wanted to fight Tagir Machmudov.
The terms were vague. He described a choice between stepping in for someone who had dropped out or taking the fight with time to prepare. Either route, he said, meant tying himself to a contract or becoming a filler. "I don't like playing the role of a filler" (translated), he said.
He is not against the role in every case. For a first fight in the UFC, he said, he would not hesitate. The UFC remains his main goal, and that is the yardstick he applies to any offer.
Looking back, he thinks he made the right call. He says he is a different fighter now, more professional and more serious about his career, and that a proposal would land at a better moment today. His recent wins, he argues, give him a stronger negotiating position.
KSW is not closed off. He said a good contract is one that lets him develop and guarantees opponents, and that such a deal would be open to discussion. For now he has no new concrete offers from other promotions, so the next step depends on who calls first, and on what they put on the table.
- Summary
- Mateusz Kisielewski says KSW only asked if he wanted to fight Tagir Machmudov, not a formal offer; he turned down the filler role, still targets the UFC and has no new offers.
- Key points (one per line)
- Kisielewski says KSW's contact about Tagir Machmudov was a question, not a concrete contract offer.
He declined to be a filler but would take that role for a UFC debut.
He says he is a better fighter now and has no new concrete offers from other promotions.
- Also reported by (Name | URL per line)
- InTheCage | https://inthecage.pl/mateusz-kisielewski-ujawnil-kulisy-zainteresowania-ksw-nie-lubie-grac-roli-zapchajdziury/
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