BUZZ Ziółkowski accepts Włodarczyk's KSW callout; date dispute blocks the fight

A fight both men say they want is stuck on a calendar. Marian Ziółkowski has accepted the callout from Igor Włodarczyk, but not the date, and Włodarczyk has said April is out.

The dispute began after KSW 122 in Rzeszów, where the unbeaten Włodarczyk beat Welisson Paiva and called out two Nemezis fighters, Ziółkowski and Mateusz Makarowski. Both lost that same night: Ziółkowski was submitted by Wilson Varela and Makarowski was knocked out by Adam Soldaev. Ziółkowski answered on his new YouTube channel, praising the Paiva win as Włodarczyk's best so far but calling his post-fight interview too smooth a shift from grief to callouts.

That comment is what turned the exchange personal. Włodarczyk said in an Instagram Stories video that it crossed a line, said he will never shake Ziółkowski's hand and will give him no more attention. He also said his team's priority remains a fight with Makarowski and that he will take any opponent on a convenient date. Ziółkowski later said he was not referring to the death itself but to how quickly Włodarczyk moved to business, and that he would drop that topic.

The timing is the practical obstacle. Ziółkowski has a trip in January and returns around 20 January, according to MMA.pl, so he is aiming for March or April. He argues KSW fighters usually compete about twice a year, so the wait is not unusual. Włodarczyk wants an earlier fight, and MMA.pl reports he has February in mind.

The stakes differ for each. Ziółkowski, 36, held the KSW lightweight belt from 2020 to 2023 and defended it three times, but health problems slowed him. He has won one of five fights since 2024 and is ranked seventh. Włodarczyk, 23, has three KSW wins and is not yet in the top 10. Ziółkowski says the fight would be a big chance for the younger man to climb.

What to watch: whether KSW offers either man a date, and whether Włodarczyk gets the Makarowski fight he is pushing for instead. Nothing is announced.