An Interview with Brave Lightweight Maciej Gierszweski

An Interview with Brave Lightweight Maciej Gierszweski

By Arwen Louise

One week out from his co-main event fight on Brave CF 24, I caught up with lightweight Maciej “MagicMan” Gierszewski.

The Polish native, fighting out of IFS in Belfast, will be facing off against Cian Cowley (2-2) in the landmark London event.

Gierszewski is going into this fight holding a professional record of 5 wins and 4 losses. With all bar one of his victories coming in the very first round.

Gierszewski first came to Northern Ireland twelve years ago. He was already very athletic, with aspirations of following his father into bodybuilding. However, his first taste of MMA in 2009 was to change everything.

“I decided to go to an MMA gym one day, and I rolled with a young fella…I was nearly 100kg and he was walking around at about 70kg. I tapped about ten times in the five minutes, and I said ‘holy ****’ it’s not about the size or the strength! I just decided that was the thing I wanted to do.”

From that day, he never looked back. Progressing through Fight Academy Ireland and Kyoujin before eventually settling in IFS.

“I felt in Kyoujin I couldn’t improve anymore. I was the best guy in the gym. Nobody really wanted to spar with me. So, I decided it was time to move and I moved to IFS.”

Since starting in IFS, MagicMan has seen huge improvements in his game, especially with wrestling.

Gierszewski took his first amateur fight in 2010 after just six months in the sport. He won the fight on decision. After that win, he took a break from competing to concentrate on his young family. He returned to the cage in 2013, facing Aaron Wallace in Clan Wars. Dec Larkin stopped the fight mere seconds before the final bell, declaring Wallace the winner by TKO.

Clan Wars was to be Gierszewski’s arena for the rest of his amateur career. He had five more fights at this level, securing four wins, before making the decision to go pro.

“Most of the fights were finished in the first round…How can you get experience when you finish everyone in the first round. People started calling me Mr. TKO!”

All bar his last fight at amateur had been at middleweight. The weight Gierszewski walked around at. His coaches urged him to take his last amateur fight at lightweight, to experience a weight cut, before going pro. He followed their advice, taking on SBG’s Tyrone Quinn, ultimately winning by decision.

Gierszewski’s first professional fight was against Frenchman Romain Bidet in Cage Warriors, and he picked up where he left off. Securing another first round TKO victory. The MagicMan recounted the significance of this moment for him. He had grown up watching Cage Warriors.

“I always dreamed, someday I will put those yellow gloves on my hands.

“It was a dream come true. Pro debut, Cage Warriors straight away. 3Arena in Dublin…I was so nervous. The first 20 seconds I couldn’t move…I was frozen…But after I get the first punch they just go automatically.”

His second fight was with BAMMA, and despite being with a different promotion, the outcome was the same. SBG’s Steve Owens was to be the next victim of the first-round finisher.

“My second fight was against Steve Owens, a top striker. That’s all I know about him, because I am not the type of fighter who is watching the opponent fight… All I want to know is if my opponent is a striker or a grappler.”

Gierszewski’s next bout was unorthodox to say the least. Taking the fight at short notice and moving up in weight, perhaps it was unsurprising that the fight didn’t go the Polish man’s way.

“I think the third fight was a crazy fight. I took the fight on five days’ notice at middleweight…Still today I don’t know why I made this decision…Five days’ notice, middleweight, Cage Warriors…I love to fight and I lost this one…You take the risks, sometimes it’s worth it…It’s all about the experience.”

Before long, Gierskewski was back to winning ways. In BAMMA 35, he took on Karl McCalig and executed his by now signature first round TKO.

“One of the best Muay Thai fighters in Ireland. For me, just a bigger version of Cian Cowley, and I beat him in the first round by TKO, so I am happy with it. (McCalig’s) low kicks were so powerful, but I checked them all, because I am a good striker too…That makes me more comfortable about the fight with Cowley.”

Until recently, all Gierskewski’s professional fights had been in the welterweight division. In May of this year, he was presented with the opportunity to fight on home soil against Poland’s Sergiusz Uzarek (4-4) This fight was to be at lightweight and the MagicMan accepted it on two weeks’ notice. His desire to fight in his own country outweighing his concern about dropping to 70kg.

“I always wanted to fight in Poland…I said, ‘I am going to do it, even if I have to cut my hand off to make it to 70kg.”

Thankfully it didn’t come to that!

Gierskewski made weight, went into the fight feeling great and went on to win via TKO, this time in the second round. He has decided that lightweight is the division for him. Believing that his background with weightlifting and bodybuilding has helped him to retain strength and power at the lower weight.

“I am a huge lightweight, and strong. I spar with the big guys…I’ll take over this division.”

Looking forward to the fight on Thursday against Cian Cowley, Gierskewski doesn’t have a game plan set in stone. His opponent is a hugely experienced striker, but the IFS fighter is not concerned. His teammate Daniel Olejniczak fought Cian last year. Although Olejniczak went on to lose the fight, he dropped Cowley in the first round. MagicMan assured me that he will do the same.

“First of all, I want to test his stand up…See how good he is…I am more powerful than Daniel, so if Daniel dropped him, I can do (the same) He is a proper striker, but not an MMA fighter, yet!”

When I asked Gierskewski for a prediction on how the fight would pan out, he confidently told me to expect him to win by KO or TKO in the first round.

Gierskewski has fought on several promotions in his career so far. BAMMA, Cage Warriors and Bellator to name a few. He told me that he enjoys fighting on different shows. Getting to see how they operate and adding to his collection of coloured gloves.

When we spoke about his experience of working with Brave CF so far, Gierskewski told me that the promotion takes very good care of their fighters.

“I would be happy to be signed with them, but first I have to do my mission on the 25th.”

As we spoke the night before he began his final weight cut, even the prospect of a tough few days ahead couldn’t dampen Gierskewski’s spirit. He sounded upbeat and excited as he admitted to counting down the days to Fight Night.

The Polish fighter recognises the magnitude of the opportunity which has been afforded to him. He wanted to thank Brave CF for inviting him to fight on such a big stage. He also wanted to extend his gratitude to his IFS teammates and coaches.

We look forward to seeing the MagicMan in action next week in London, and we wish him all the best for the future.