By now, everyone knows the UFC is back up and running again amid the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Now, one of European MMA’s major players is back and with a bang – albeit with an event held behind closed doors.
Poland-based promotion Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki earlier announced that KSW 53: Reborn will take place on a closed set on 11 July, shut off to fans.
The event will be headlined by a KSW lightweight title unification bout between unbeaten Polish champion Mateusz Gamrot and Northern Irish interim titleholder Norman Parke.
In the co-main event, Borys Mankowski is set to clash against Marcin Wrzosek in another key fight for KSW’s bubbling lightweight division.
More fights for the event are expected to be announced over the next couple of weeks.
KSW 53: Reborn will see a third bout between Gamrot and Parke as the pair have become competitive and bitter rivals over the last few years.
Parke, who is currently on a five-fight winning run, tasted his last defeat to Gamrot by unanimous decision back at KSW 39 three years ago.
The pair had a rematch at KSW 40, but that was declared a No Contest in the second round following an accidental eye poke.
Unbeaten in his 16 fights – including that aforementioned No Contest result – Gamrot has not fought since overcoming Kleber Koike Erbst via unanimous decision in December 2018.
That win saw Gamrot become a two-weight champion, lifting the vacant KSW featherweight gold to add to his collection as a lightweight.
Rumours circulated around the fighting future of Gamrot, but MMA fans in Poland and beyond will be excited to see his formalised return to the sport and KSW after his initial announcement of a fighting comeback in March fell flat due to the coronavirus pandemic.