Eddie Hall has dramatically changed his physique in preparation for his upcoming debut in mixed martial arts.
The 37-year-old Hall is scheduled to face Mariusz Pudzianowski in a super-heavyweight contest this Saturday in Poland, Pudzianowski`s home country.
The former strongman champion faces a formidable challenge in the fighting world against Pudzianowski, an MMA veteran preparing for his 27th professional fight.
Hall`s combat sports journey began in 2022 with a boxing match against fellow strongman and Game of Thrones actor Hafthor Bjornsson, which he lost by unanimous decision.
The 2017 World`s Strongest Man titleholder transitioned to MMA in June, securing a knockout victory against the Neffati Brothers in a 2-on-1 `freak fight`.
Recognizing the challenging opponent ahead, Hall has been training diligently, even sparring with UFC standout Tom Aspinall.
Consequently, the heavyweight has increased his weight to approximately 355 lbs (161 kg) as part of his significant physical change.
This current weight is considerably lower than his peak strongman weight of 432 lbs (196 kg).
Hall stated, “I`m about 350-355lbs at the minute, and I`ll probably fight at that.”
He added, “I`ve got no intention to lose any more weight. My fitness is good.”
“I`ve been doing the four-minute rounds,” he explained. “I`m not gassing, I`m big, I`m strong.”
Hall humorously remarked, “I`ve never heard a fighter say, ‘I wish I was weaker for that fight`.”
He concluded, “So I`ve got no intention to lose weight, muscle mass or whatever.
“I can fight, I`ve got the lung capacity and I`m happy to go in at this weight.”
Elton Marrow