Five-time world's strongest man Mariusz Pudzianowski improved his MMA record to 2-0 with a majority decision win over Yusuke Kawaguchi (11-2) at KSW 13 on May 7.

"Pudzian" needed just 43-seconds to defeat an inexperienced Marcin Najman in his MMA debut at KSW 12 last year, but against the more seasoned Kawaguchi, he struggled to mount effective offense for much of the fight.

Pudzianowski pushed the pace from the start, with wild, powerful punches and an early slam of Kawaguchi that led to some rather inaccurate ground-and-pound, but elicited roars of approval from the crowd.

It looked at first like the smaller Japanese fighter might be overwhelmed by sheer brute force, but Pudzianowski showed little technical skill and was never able to translate his frequent takedowns into a finish. 

Early in the second round it appeared that Kawaguchi was in danger again after he was staggered by a big elbow, but after a brief medical stoppage, the rest of the round degenerated into a series of ponderous clinches and takedowns by a visibly weary Pudzianowski.

For his part, Kawaguchi seemed unable to faze the huge Pole with his striking, despite landing a number of punches and leg-kicks, and did little on the ground other than manage to survive in a fight that saw several stand-ups for lack of activity.

At the end of the night, a smiling and unmarked Pudzianowski accepted a trophy and the congratulations of his battered and swollen-faced opponent. Looking relaxed in his post-fight interview, Pudzian admitted he was still a "rookie" in MMA, but also said that he was eager to move on to his next challenge, a showdown with former UFC heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia (25-6) at Moosin: God of Martial Arts on May 21.