Salahdine Parnasse Melts Robert Ruchala to Unify Featherweight Title at KSW 85

Incroyable!!!! 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲!?🤯

The French maestro 🇫🇷 @SalahdineP 👑👑 with another unforgettable finish!! xtb #KSW85 pic.twitter.com/Wnn6wDH8yS

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) August 19, 2023

KSW double champ Salahdine Parnasse rules solidly over the 145-pound division.

Parnasse (18-1, 10-1 KSW) showcased his championship mettle as he secured a TKO victory over Robert Ruchala, unifying the KSW featherweight title in the KSW 85 headliner. The battle started with a burst of excitement as Ruchala (9-1, 6-1 KSW) dropped Parnasse with a crafty combination involving a spinning back elbow followed by a solid right punch in the opening round. Throughout the first rounds, Ruchala demonstrated his meticulous preparation, targeting Parnasse with the spinning back forearm technique that had proven to be the only effective technique against him to date. However, the Frenchman was never really in danger, displaying his resilience and striking prowess by expertly mixing long-range strikes with close-range action from the clinch.

As the match advanced, Parnasse's dominance became increasingly evident. He controlled both the striking and grappling exchanges, particularly in the third round, where he punished Ruchala with precise ground-and-pound from the top position. In a stunning turn of events in the fourth round, Parnasse showcased his offensive creativity by melting Ruchala with a well-placed liver kick while his opponent was grounded. Swiftly following up with a decisive punch, Parnasse left Ruchala incapacitated, prompting referee Lukasz Bosacki to intervene and halt the action. The official time indicated the 4:42 mark of Round 4. In victory, Parnasse took home his fifth consecutive triumph.

SUBMISSION!!! 🤯🤯🤯

🇹🇷 Chuzhigaev 👑 hands Gnidko his first loss to retain his light heavyweight title!! xtb #KSW85 pic.twitter.com/kBDfjOWEFJ

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) August 19, 2023

In a high-stakes co-headliner that had fans at the edge of their seats, Ibragim Chuzhigaev successfully defended his light heavyweight championship against knockout artist Bogdan Gnidko. The opening stanza saw Gnidko (10-1, 3-1 KSW) fight to the ground, manhandling his foe and unleashing some of his trademark power shots. Still, Chuzhigaev’s (18-5, 3-0 KSW) defensive prowess and strategic movement allowed him to weather the storm, resisting his foe’s rear-naked choke attempts. Gnidko's aggressive assault seemed to sap his energy, and as the fight progressed into the second round, it became evident that he was running out of gas. Chuzhigaev capitalized on Gnidko's diminishing stamina and moved the action on the canvas. Displaying his grappling finesse, Chuzhigaev expertly transitioned into an arm-triangle choke, locking in a submission that left Gnidko with little room to maneuver. The exhausted Gnidko had no choice but to tap out, conceding victory to Chuzhigaev as the official time indicated the 4:14 mark of Round 2.

𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐎𝐔𝐓! 💥

🇧🇷 KleberSilva!!!!! xtb #KSW85 pic.twitter.com/D44R6hnJcd

— KSW (@KSW_MMA) August 19, 2023

Elsewhere, Patryk Kaczmarczyk (10-2, 4-2 KSW) overcame Daniel Tarchila (6-2, 1-1 KSW) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) in a battle of featherweight prospects; crowd-favorite 135-pounder Kamil Szkaradek (5-0, 3-0 KSW) outclassed Patryk Surdyn (7-4, 2-4 KSW) to take home a unanimous decision win (30-27, 30-27, 30-27); Kleber Raimundo Silva (22-12, 2-0 KSW) knocked out Rafal Kijanczuk (12-7, 2-3 KSW) with punches followed by a last knee at 4:39 of the opening period in their 209-pound catchweight; 170-pounder Marcin Krakowiak (13-4, 5-3 KSW) edged Michal Pietrzak (10-7-1, 2-4-1 KSW) thanks to a narrow split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29); Yasmin Guimaraes (6-1, 2-0 KSW) outpointed Adrianna Kreft (5-1, 2-1 KSW) on all scorecards at women’s flyweight; Wilson Varela (10-5, 2-1 KSW) dominated Lukasz Rajewski (12-9, 1 NC; 5-6 KSW) — who failed to make weight by 4 pounds the day before — en route to a unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) in their 163-pound catchweight; after missing weight by 1.1 pound the day before, Sandra Succar (3-0, 1-0 KSW) upset up-and-coming Wiktoria Czyzewska (2-1, 1-1 KSW) by forcing a technical-knockout stoppage with punches at 2:34 of the third stanza in a 128-pound catchweight.