Mariusz Pudzianowski has spent most of the last decade dominating the sport of strength athletics, earning the prestigious title of World's Strongest Man a record five times during that span.

Strongman competition is a grueling discipline that requires athletes to pit themselves against a variety of apparatus. And in addition to raw strength it requires explosive speed, endurance, technique, and willpower to succeed. Elite strongmen are used to pushing through pain and adversity on a regular basis, as it requires extreme focus and dedication to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

All of which should prove to be useful qualities when it comes to Pudzianowski's newest competitive discipline: MMA.

"Pudzian" has had a long-standing interest in the martial arts. In addition to being an amateur boxer, he has studied Kyokushin Karate for years, a style with an emphasis on full-contact sparring that is also practiced by UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. 

Until recently, the demands of strongman competition have kept the Polish colossus from pursuing a professional fighting career. That changed last year, when he made the commitment to begin training MMA full-time.

Pudzianowski made his debut last December in Warsaw, Poland, against fellow newcomer Marcin Najman. Weighing in at 277-pounds, he overwhelmed his smaller opponent in a display or raw power and ferocity that saw the fight last a mere 43 seconds. Since then, he has been training diligently three times a day, working on his boxing, jiu-jitsu, and wrestling skills.

Earlier this year Pudzianowski agreed to fight at KSW 13 on May 7, though his opponent remains uncertain (earlier reports that he would face Polish fighter Robert Paczkow have still not been confirmed).

Now matters have become even more complicated, as "Pudzian" has confirmed that he also intends to face former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia at a Boston event planned by MMA promotion Moosin on April 23.

"Negotiations are ongoing, and it looks like I will fight with Tim Sylvia," Pudzianowski stated on his personal website.

He added that he had underestimated the difficulties that would arise by agreeing to two fights in such close proximity, as he is used to competing in strongman competitions on short rotation.

"Sometimes as a strongman I can be in Moscow on Friday, and Norway on Sunday," Pudzianowski explained.

Pudzianowski's manager Barbara Demczuk spoke to Polish MMA site Fightsport.pl about the ongoing situation, adding several interesting pieces of information. According to Demczuk, her client still wishes to compete at KSW 13 in May, despite the two week time difference between that event and his potential April 23 confrontation with Sylvia.

Perhaps most importantly, she also revealed that Pudzianowski is still a free agent, without a binding contract to any organization.

"[This] does not preclude the subsequent signing of contracts for the fight against major MMA organizations," said Demczuk.

If "Pudzian" can succeed in his bid to fight twice in two weeks, it will certainly be a testament to his competitive spirit. However, there is no denying that an element of luck would be involved as well, as injuries suffered in a bout with Sylvia could force a cancellation of his participation at KSW 13.