English middleweight Tom Breese is looking to book himself into a title fight for the Polish promotion when he faces Pawel Pawlak at KSW 76.
Breese was dominating former Olympian Damian Janikowski in his last outing, and looked well on the way to victory against the Polish fan-favourite. But confusion over whether Janikowski had tapped to a Breese guillotine choke added an air of controversy to a fight the Englishman was bossing at the time.
I was on top of him. He was gonna get finished, regardless,” he told KSW ahead of his upcoming bout.
“Me on top in those positions, people don’t understand. My jiu-jitsu is next level, and he was on his way out. So I’m confident I would have got the finish.
“I felt like the way he was reacting on the bottom wasn’t smart, and the ref just finished it a little bit early, because I was going to finish him in a matter of time anyway.”
With that fight firmly in the rearview mirror, Breese has turned his attention to Pawlak, a fighter with a 20-4-1 record, including a 2015 win in the UFC octagon.
“He’s a solid martial artist. He has a good record,” said Breese of his upcoming opponent.
“This is a good challenge for me. And, you know, it makes sense. I feel it is a title eliminator. So it’s an exciting challenge, and I look forward to it.
“He seems to be a well-rounder. He likes to kickbox, but he has well-rounded skills, a lot of experience, goes to decision a lot – never been stopped. So yeah, a good fighter.”
Breese showcased some of his ground game in his victory over Janikowski, and he said that his grappling skills are now at an elite level as he looks to claim another impressive win and, potentially, earn himself a shot at the KSW middleweight title.
“I’ve been active in jiu-jitsu,” he said.
“I’ve had hundreds of grappling matches, I’ve competed in World Championships, stuff like that, medalled at the World Championships in jiu-jitsu.
“I’ve competed against many ADCC champions (and) I’ve beaten ADCC silver medalists. So yeah, I believe my jiu-jitsu is world class, and I’d love to do ADCC myself.”
Despite his top-drawer grappling abilities, Breese said he’s far from a one-trick pony, and said he’s ready to win by any method necessary at KSW 76.
“I’m well-rounded. I chase excellence in all the arts and I believe my skills are world class in all areas,” he said.
“Because of that, I can find a weakness in my opponent’s game usually. If they have good striking, maybe I use my jiu-jitsu. If they have good jiu-jitsu, maybe I use my striking, and attack them where they are weakest.”
