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Mateusz Kisielewski doesn’t want to limit his career solely to what happens inside the cage. Ahead of the main event at King’s Arena 4, the fighter visited the Fansport TV studio, where he spoke about the media side of MMA and an issue that, in his opinion, affects many talented Polish fighters.
King’s Arena 4 will take place in Łódź on October 3. The card will feature, among others, Jan Ciepłowski, who will face off against Deiby Tachon. In the main event, fans will see Mateusz Kisielewski take on Wawrzyniec Bartnik.
During an interview on Fansport TV, Michał Tuszyński revisited Kisielewski’s earlier statement. The fighter had said at the time that “Polish MMA needs a figurehead, and he wants to be that figurehead.”
Kisielewski, therefore, does not intend to be the kind of fighter whose pre-fight comments are limited to discussing his successful training and making weight. In his opinion, fighters often deprive themselves of the opportunity to generate more interest in their careers.
– I don’t want to be so… “bland,“ said Kisielewski. – I see, for example, a lot of great players who could make a difference overall and really show what they’re made of, but they nip it in the bud. When someone asks them, “So, how’s training going?”, they say, “Fine, well, you know…” – he continued, acting out the situation with his head down.
According to one of the fighters at King’s Arena 4, there’s no need to immediately create artificial conflicts or build a completely fabricated image. Sometimes it’s enough to talk about yourself in a more interesting way and give the fans something they’ll actually remember.
– It’s actually fun to embellish things a bit. Maybe not exactly embellish, but spice them up a little. Add a little something—a fun anecdote that might interest outsiders. If you just say, “I trained here, I lifted weights here,” you’re not exactly breaking new ground, are you? You’ve just said something that’s been said hundreds of thousands of times before.
Kisielewski also noted that some athletes deliberately distance themselves from the media spotlight, wanting to remain solely athletes. In his view, however, this approach comes at a cost.
– It’s well known that some people focus intensely on their work, as if they’re distancing themselves from the “show” and just want to be athletes. But the truth is, at that point, you’re cutting yourself off from making money, aren’t you? — Kisielewski put it spot on. – The only thing is… Well, obviously, athletic ability is extremely important. But if you have that ability, sell it. So that someone can see it, so that someone can appreciate you for it.
Kisielewski, therefore, does not prioritize media presence over skill. In his opinion, however, a good athlete should be able to showcase his value effectively, because only then can he fully realize the potential he demonstrates in the cage. He’ll get his next chance at King’s Arena 4 in a bout against Wawrzyniec Bartnik.
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