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Krzysztof Soszynski

Krzysztof Soszyński
A Polish‐Canadian actor and retired mixed martial artist
Born (1977-08-02) August 2, 1977 (age 47)
Stalowa Wola, Poland
Other namesThe Polish Experiment
ResidenceDubai, United Arab Emirates
NationalityPolish
Canadian
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st)
DivisionHeavyweight
Light Heavyweight
Reach77+12 in (197 cm)
Fighting out ofWinnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
TeamTeam Quest (2007–2010)[1]
Reign Training Center (2010–2013)[1]
RankBlue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu[2]
Years active2003–2014 (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total39
Wins26
By knockout11
By submission10
By decision3
By disqualification2
Losses12
By knockout6
By submission1
By decision5
Draws1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Krzysztof Soszyński (Polish pronunciation: [ˈkʂɨʂtɔf sɔˈʂɨɲskʲi]; born August 2, 1977) is a Polish‐Canadian actor and retired mixed martial artist. An 11-year competitor from 2003 until 2014, Soszynski fought in the UFC, Strikeforce, the Los Angeles Anacondas of the IFL. Also, he was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir.

Background

Soszynski was born in Stalowa Wola, Poland, where he was raised until the age of ten, when his family moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Soszynski played football and soccer for Maples Collegiate, but later turned to weight training at the age of 16 before transitioning into bodybuilding and later professional wrestling. During his career in professional wrestling, which he began at the age of 21 and ended at the age of 25, Soszynski learned various judo techniques as well as submissions from fellow professional wrestler Bad News Brown, a bronze medalist in Judo at the 1976 Olympic games. After this, Soszynski began to pursue a career in mixed martial arts and also trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under black belt and gym owner, Rodrigo Munduruca, in Winnipeg. Soszynski also worked as a houseman at the Fairmont Winnipeg Hotel and as a promoter of local MMA events in Manitoba.[3]

Mixed martial arts career

The Ultimate Fighter

Soszynski entered The Ultimate Fighter, where he defeated Mike Stewart and Kyle Kingsbury on the way to the semifinals, where he lost to Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Vinny Magalhaes.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Soszynski made his debut against former Ultimate Fighter castmate Shane Primm, whom he defeated by submission due to a kimura. It was awarded Submission of the Night.

His second fight was at UFC 97 where Soszynski again utilized the kimura to win his second consecutive Submission of the Night award by forcing former WEC Light heavyweight Champion Brian Stann to tap to the hold.

Soszynski next stepped in as a late replacement for Houston Alexander at UFC 98, knocking out André Gusmão at 3:17 in the first round.

Soszynski then stepped in as a replacement for an injured Matt Hamill to fight Brandon Vera at UFC 102 in Portland, Oregon.[4] Soszynski lost via unanimous decision, bringing his UFC record down to 3–1.

Soszynski next faced Stephan Bonnar on February 21, 2010, at UFC 110.[5] Soszynski was victorious via third-round TKO due to a cut, though the victory was shadowed by an accidental headbutt that caused the cut, creating controversy over the victory. The New South Wales Sports Combat Authority overlooked the fight which could have resulted in the decision being overturned, depending on the judges' scorecards after round two. However, they ruled against overturning the decision. Both fighters stated that there was the need for a rematch.[6]

Their wish was later granted as the two had their rematch at UFC 116. In a close stand up battle, Soszynski got caught by a knee from Bonnar in the second round and lost via TKO after taking several unanswered punches. The fight was awarded Fight of the Night alongside the Leben/Akiyama fight, giving all the fighters an extra $75,000 to their pay.[7]

Soszynski faced Goran Reljic on November 13, 2010, at UFC 122.[8] He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Soszynski was scheduled to face Anthony Perosh on June 11, 2011, at UFC 131.[9] However, Perosh was forced from the bout with an injury and replaced by Igor Pokrajac.[10] Pokrajac was also injured and replaced by returning UFC veteran Mike Massenzio.[11] He defeated Massenzio via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–26, and 30–27).

Soszynski/Pokrajac took place on December 10, 2011, at UFC 140.[12] Soszynski was staggered early on with a straight right from Pokrajac, who followed him to the ground where he landed several shots that finished Soszynski off, resulting in a KO loss. Soszynski was unresponsive for a few minutes after the fight. In a video blog by Dana White, president of the UFC, leading up to UFC 141, there was footage of Soszynski following his loss to Pokrajac and was seen claiming that he is retiring from MMA.[13] Later, he claimed he has no memory of what occurred in the video and says his future in MMA fighting will be dependent upon what his doctors say.[14]

On August 15, 2014, Krzysztof announced his retirement from MMA competition on Inside MMA, citing memory problems that began occurring after his last fight.[15]

Film career

Aside from his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter TV show, Soszynski had a small uncredited role in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation entitled "S.F.C. - Cage Fighter".[16]

Soszynski made an appearance in the movie Here Comes the Boom as a top MMA fighter in the UFC by the name of Ken "The Executioner" Dietrich.[17] He then landed a major role in the movie Tapped Out (2014).[18] He starred as Alpha in the 2016 Daylight's End. Soszynski had a role in the 2017 movie Logan.

Personal life

Soszynski is married and has a son from a previous relationship.[19]

Soszynski initially worked as a coach at UFC Gym Torrance, and is currently the Director of MMA and Fitness for UFC Gym Middle East.[20][21]

Soszynski has also been acting as a color commentator of Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki as of 2020.[22]

Championships and achievements

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
39 matches 26 wins 12 losses
By knockout 11 6
By submission 10 1
By decision 3 5
By disqualification 2 0
Draws 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 26–12–1 Igor Pokrajac KO (punches) UFC 140 December 10, 2011 1 0:35 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Win 26–11–1 Mike Massenzio Decision (unanimous) UFC 131 June 11, 2011 3 5:00 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Win 25–11–1 Goran Reljic Decision (unanimous) UFC 122 November 13, 2010 3 5:00 Oberhausen, Germany
Loss 24–11–1 Stephan Bonnar TKO (knee and punches) UFC 116 July 3, 2010 2 3:08 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Fight of the Night.
Win 24–10–1 Stephan Bonnar TKO (doctor stoppage) UFC 110 February 21, 2010 3 1:04 Sydney, Australia
Loss 23–10–1 Brandon Vera Decision (unanimous) UFC 102 August 29, 2009 3 5:00 Portland, Oregon, United States
Win 23–9–1 André Gusmão KO (punches) UFC 98 May 23, 2009 1 3:17 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 22–9–1 Brian Stann Submission (kimura) UFC 97 April 18, 2009 1 3:53 Montreal, Quebec, Canada Submission of the Night.
Win 21–9–1 Shane Primm Submission (kimura) The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir Finale December 13, 2008 2 3:27 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Submission of the Night.
Win 20–9–1 Marcus Hicks Submission (kimura) UCW 11: Hell in the Cage April 11, 2008 1 N/A Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win 19–9–1 Alex Andrade DQ (low blows) Ring of Combat 18 March 7, 2008 2 4:46 New Jersey, United States
Win 18–9–1 Robert Villegas DQ (refusal to fight) HDNet Fights: Reckless Abandon December 15, 2007 2 3:15 Texas, United States Return to Light Heavyweight.
Loss 17–9–1 Ben Rothwell TKO (punches) IFL: 2007 Semifinals August 2, 2007 1 0:13 New Jersey, United States
Loss 17–8–1 Reese Andy Decision (split) IFL: Everett June 1, 2007 3 4:00 Everett, Washington, United States
Win 17–7–1 Dan Christison Decision (unanimous) IFL: Los Angeles March 17, 2007 3 4:00 California, United States
Loss 16–7–1 Mike Whitehead Decision (unanimous) IFL: Championship Final December 29, 2006 3 4:00 Connecticut, United States
Win 16–6–1 Devin Cole Submission (armbar) IFL: World Championship Semifinals November 2, 2006 2 1:14 Oregon, United States
Win 15–6–1 Icho Larenas TKO (doctor stoppage) TKO 27: Reincarnation September 29, 2006 3 0:00 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Win 14–6–1 Tom Howard TKO (punches) IFL: Portland September 9, 2006 1 3:47 Portland, Oregon, United States
Win 13–6–1 Yan Pellerin Submission (kimura) TKO 26: Heatwave June 30, 2006 1 1:30 Quebec, Canada
Loss 12–6–1 Ben Rothwell TKO (punches) IFL: Legends Championship 2006 April 29, 2006 1 3:59 New Jersey, United States
Draw 12–5–1 Mike Kyle Technical Draw Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie March 10, 2006 1 2:02 California, United States Fight ruled a Technical Draw after accidental eye-poke from Kyle.
Loss 12–5 Brian Schall TKO (punches) TKO 24: Eruption January 28, 2006 3 3:00 Quebec, Canada Return to Heavyweight.
Loss 12–4 Martin Desilets TKO (doctor stoppage) TKO 23: Extreme November 5, 2005 2 1:30 Quebec, Canada
Loss 12–3 Matt Horwich Submission (rear-naked choke) Freedom Fight: Canada vs. USA July 9, 2005 2 0:52 Quebec, Canada Light Heavyweight debut.
Win 12–2 Ron Fields Submission (armbar) UCW 2: Caged Inferno June 18, 2005 1 2:25 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win 11–2 Jason Day TKO (punches) RR 8: Roadhouse Rumble 8 April 9, 2005 1 2:08 Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Win 10–2 Troy Hadley TKO (punches) NFA: Super Brawl January 29, 2005 1 N/A North Dakota, United States
Win 9–2 Chris Thiel KO (punches) Ultimate Cage Wars 1 October 29, 2004 1 N/A Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win 8–2 Wyatt Lewis KO (punches) RITR 1: Rage in the Ring 1 October 23, 2004 1 N/A Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Win 7–2 Lee Mein TKO (submission to punches) WFF 7: Professional Shooto July 23, 2004 2 2:06 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Loss 6–2 Chris Tuchscherer Decision (unanimous) NFA: Moorhead June 12, 2004 3 3:00 Minnesota, United States
Win 6–1 Dennis Stull TKO (punches) ICC: Trials 2 April 30, 2004 1 N/A Minnesota, United States
Win 5–1 Jack Burton Submission (rear-naked choke) ICC: Trials 2 April 30, 2004 1 N/A Minnesota, United States
Win 4–1 Matt Lafromboise TKO (submission to punches) DFC 1: Dakota Fighting Championships 1 April 17, 2004 1 1:14 North Dakota, United States
Win 3–1 Kyle Olsen Submission (exhaustion) NFA: Best Damn Fights March 20, 2004 1 4:55 North Dakota, United States
Win 2–1 Ben Konecnec TKO (punches) IFA: Ultimate Trials February 27, 2004 1 0:26 Iowa, United States
Loss 1–1 Jason Day Decision (unanimous) RR 8: Roadhouse Rumble 8 November 1, 2003 2 5:00 Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Win 1–0 Matt Lafromboise TKO (submission to punches) Absolute Ada Fights 4 September 13, 2003 1 3:23 Minnesota, United States

References

  1. ^ a b David St. Martin (February 14, 2011). "Dan Henderson And Matt Lindland Reportedly In Ownership Dispute Over Team Quest Rights". SB Nation.
  2. ^ John Morgan (December 5, 2008). "Ten "TUF" Questions: Krzysztof Soszynski and Eliot Marshall". MMAjunkie.com.
  3. ^ IFL Profile Archived 2007-05-14 at archive.today
  4. ^ "Matt Hamill out 3-4 weeks, Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brandon Vera at UFC 102 (Updated)". Archived from the original on 2009-07-23.
  5. ^ "Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski expected for UFC 110". fiveknuckles.com. Archived from the original on 2009-11-09. Retrieved 2009-11-07.
  6. ^ Chris Postupalski. "UFC 110 Notebook: Aussie Closes on Title Contention".
  7. ^ "UFC 116 fighter bonuses: Six fighters each earn $75,000 awards". Archived from the original on 2013-04-03. Retrieved 2010-07-04.
  8. ^ "Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Goran Reljic targeted for UFC 122 in Germany". mmajunkie.com.com. Archived from the original on 2010-08-19. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
  9. ^ "Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Anthony Perosh targeted for UFC 131 in Vancouver". mmajunkie.com. March 11, 2011. Archived from the original on March 14, 2011.
  10. ^ "Anthony Perosh out, Igor Pokrajac in against Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 131". mmajunkie.com. 2011-05-11. Archived from the original on 2011-05-14.
  11. ^ "Pokrajac off Saturday's UFC 131; Massenzio in Against 'K-Sos'". sherdog.com. 2011-06-06.
  12. ^ "Igor Pokrajac vs. Krzysztof Soszynski slated for UFC 140 in Toronto". mmajunkie.com. 2011-09-22. Archived from the original on 2011-09-24.
  13. ^ Dana Becker (December 27, 2011). "Krzysztof Soszynski Retires From MMA". fightline.com.
  14. ^ Al-Shatti, Shaun (December 28, 2011). "Krzysztof Soszynski Explains Retirement Comments". SB Nation/MMA Nation. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  15. ^ "Krzysztof Soszynski Announces Retirement on "Inside MMA"". AXS TV Fights. August 15, 2014. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  16. ^ FightersOnlyMag.com Staff. "Krzys and Sokoudjou appearing on CSI: Las Vegas". fightersonlymag.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  17. ^ Andy Samuelson (October 2, 2012). "Kevin James on filming 'Here Comes the Boom': 'I definitely got my fair share of getting punched in the face'". mmafighting.com. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  18. ^ Sarah Kurchak. "International MMA Film 'Tapped Out' Enters the American Market". fightland.vice.com. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  19. ^ "Krzysztof Soszynski". SPIKE.com. 2008-11-22. Archived from the original on 2010-04-09. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
  20. ^ "Seven Rounds With Krzysztof Soszynski". ufcgym.com.
  21. ^ Jeremy Brand (January 16, 2013). "Krzysztof Soszynski begins new journey as coach at Torrence's UFC Gym". mmasucka.com.
  22. ^ Farah Hannoun (January 29, 2021). "Ex-UFC fighter Krzysztof Soszynski hoped to retire with KSW, happy to be commentating instead". MMAjunkie.com.
  23. ^ "UFC 97 bonuses: Rua, Soszynski, Stout and Wiman each earn $70K awards". MMAjunkie.com. April 19, 2009.
  24. ^ Jesse Holland (December 14, 2008). "The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 Finale bonuses andawards". mmamania.com.
  25. ^ "UFC 116 fighters salaries: Brock Lesnar leads $923K payroll". MMAjunkie.com. July 6, 2010.