Thirty-six-year-old professional boxer Rafał Jackiewicz has signed a multi-fight contract with KSW Federation to compete in mixed martial arts. Born in Mińsk Mazowiecki, Jackiewicz originally began his fight career as a kickboxer but later switched to professional boxing. Beginning with his first fight in February 2001, Jackiewicz amassed a record of 42-11-2 in the welterweight division. Twenty-one of his wins have come by way of knockout. In 2010 Jackiewicz contended for the IBF world title and is one of the few Poles to hold the EBU European championship.
Why did you decide to switch to MMA?
– I won’t lie, I won’t fool anyone that fans need me or want to see me. I had some successes in boxing, but here it’s all about money. I want to earn some and save for my future. I made a mistake in boxing, I thought I would earn more. I didn’t, I don’t and here I have a chance to make more. I just need to go out, have exciting fights and don’t get taken down or submitted. For some ten zloty is much, for some it’s hundred zloty and for others hundred thousand zloty is not enough. I know what I’m worth. I struck a deal with KSW that suits me and when it’s suits me, everything is great – Jaczkiewicz admits
Where do you want to train mixed martial arts? At what weight will you compete?
– Kickboxing is my passion, my boxing is not that bad either. I just need to practice the ground skills. I train in Nastula Team, where Łukasz Jurkowski, Piotr Strus and Andrzej Pniewski help me out. We help each other, I give them pieces of advice to improve their striking, they help me learn the grappling. I would like to compete at seventy kilograms. I don’t want to cut weight to make sixty-six kilograms any more, it’s a torture. Lightweight is where I’m heading
Stay tuned for the date of Jackiewcz’s KSW debut expected to take place in 2014.
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