UFC Hall of Famer helps announce surprise double-signing of KSW champions

The UFC has officially signed not one, but two decorated champions from one of Europe’s top MMA promotions.

Dana White’s Contender Series has become the dominant avenue to a UFC contract in recent years since the show first kicked off back in 2017, but this year the promotion did make a splash by signing former Bellator stars Patricio Pitbull, Patchy Mix, and Aaron Pico when the three fighters were released from their contracts with the PFL.

Pico is set to debut against Movsar Evloev at UFC Abu Dhabi after former Bellator titleholders Pitbull and Mix both came up short in their respective Octagon debuts, and now the promotion has also officially signed two major stars from Polish MMA promotion KSW.

Yair Rodriguez (red gloves) fights against Patricio Pitbull (blue gloves) during UFC 314 at Kaseya Center. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Robert Ruchała & Jakub Wikłacz Sign With UFC

Joanna Jędrzejczyk was the first Polish fighter to claim gold in the UFC, and the UFC Hall of Famer featured as part of the recent Instagram video where Robert Ruchała and Jakub Wikłacz formally announced that they’ve signed with the promotion.

Former KSW titleholder Jan Błachowicz became the second Polish fighter (and first male) to win a UFC belt when he knocked out Dominick Reyes at UFC 253 to win the light heavyweight strap, and now Ruchała and Wikłacz will also try to claim belts in both KSW and the UFC.

Polish Stars Left KSW As Champions

Following a stellar amateur career where he put together a 12-3 record, Ruchała turned pro in 2019 and went 3-0 before joining KSW in 2020.

The 27-year-old brought his pro record to 9-0 when he won the promotion’s interim featherweight belt at KSW 80 before suffering his first loss in a title unification bout with Salahdine Parnasse, but Ruchała rebounded last year when he claimed the interim belt again with a 59-second stoppage and then defended the title with another finish at KSW 100.

Ruchała went 10-2-1 as a pro before coming up short in his KSW debut against former opponent Sebastian Przybysz at KSW 53, and after three-straight wins “Masa” avenged that loss and claimed the KSW bantamweight belt when he took a split decision over Przybysz in 2022.

The two men fought to a draw in their fourth meeting at KSW 86 before Ruchała notched a title defense against Zuriko Jojua, and in his last outing the 28-year-old officially closed the book on his rivalry with Przybysz when he submitted his countryman in the second round at KSW 95.

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