Filip Stawowy: Poland’s Ever-Improving Heavyweight Beast
Poland continues to remain a solid breeding ground for some of Europe’s best MMA talent. One of those up-and-coming prospects is the 24-year-old heavyweight Filip Stawowy. Stawowy is a prospect making a name for himself climbing up the rankings of Babilon MMA. Since becoming a professional in 2017, Stawowy has tallied seven knockout wins out of his eight career wins. Only looking better in each outing, Stawowy will hope to continue his dominance and take the world by storm.
Discovering MMA and the Team Behind Him
Many fighters come across MMA as they transition from a single form of combat sports like boxing, wrestling, etc. For Stawowy it was much different. “I came to MMA just like that. I wanted to try something new, a new school, with new people to meet and new interests,” Stawowy told MyMMANews. The team that has taken Stawowy in and trained him to his current level of dominance among Polish heavyweights is Murowana Goslina Team.
Murowana Goslina Team is located in Murowana Goslina, Poland, located in western Poland about 150 miles northwest of Lodz. Two coaches, in particular, are currently guiding the career of the future champion. “Those coaches are Mateusz Juskowiak, titled grappler Multiple European ADCC champion and world championship participant, and Coach Sławomir Iracki, He is responsible for stand-up preparation (boxing kickboxing,) They trained me physically and mentally, and thanks to them I am where I am,” stated Stawowy.
Rising the Ranks
Stawowy kicked off his career in the Slugfest organization. Slugfest is a Polish regional MMA organization based out of Witkowo. The organization has held 18 events since April 2014. Stawowy’s first two professional MMA bouts came at Slugfest 10 and Slugfest 12 respectively. Both bouts were won by second-round TKOs. After a very close split-decision loss in his third professional bout, Stawowy would go on to win his next five in a row. Two of these would come under the much bigger organizational banner of Babilon MMA. At Babilon MMA 19 in February 2021, Stawowy would run into his first major test in the dangerous Kevin Szaflarski.
Four months later, Stawowy returned to action to get back to his winning ways. His task this time was the much more seasoned veteran of over 45 professional bouts, Toni Valtonen (30-16.) With both of his decision bouts going in the way of his opponent, Stawowy took the unanimous decision from the dangerous veteran and put him right on track to battle for Babilon MMA’s first heavyweight title.
A big part of Stawowy’s appeal to the fans is his dangerous knockout ability. “I never go into a fight with a knockout or submission mindset. I go in there to fight and do my job. Of course, if there is an opportunity I want to knock out my rivals!” said Stawowy. Though the knockout may not be the central focus, the devastating striker is finding the mark at the expense of anyone willing to step across the cage from him.
