The latest update to the KSW rankings caused quite a stir in the Polish MMA community. Fans and fighters alike focused primarily on several surprising changes that occurred at the top of the various weight classes.
One of the most talked-about topics was the placement of Davy Gallon at No. 5 in the lightweight rankings. The Frenchman last fought for KSW in December 2024, when he lost by submission to Marcin Held in the first round. He subsequently fought three bouts outside the organization, winning all of them. Adam Masaev’s debut in the welterweight rankings also sparked considerable controversy. The Dagestani fighter, representing France, quickly forced Konrad Rusiński to submit at KSW 119. Although it was his first appearance in this division and his opponent was not ranked, Mamed Khalidov’s protégé was immediately ranked fifth.
Rysiewski explains his decisions. “It’s just my opinion.”
Jakub Madej from the MMARocks editorial team asked KSW Sports Director Wojsław Rysiewski to explain these changes. Rysiewski first addressed Davy Gallon’s situation and emphasized that the federation has long taken into account fighters’ performances outside of KSW as well.
– The Davy Gallon situation is pretty straightforward. From the beginning, we’ve made it clear that we’re open to fights in other organizations, and since Davy Gallon is still under contract with KSW and defeated the ranked Wilson Varela, it would be illogical if the rankings didn’t reflect their recently concluded head-to-head matchup ,” said KSW’s sports director.
Even more excitement was sparked by Adam Masaev’s ranking, as he—after just one victory in the welterweight division—found himself ahead of several fighters with far more impressive records in that division. Rysiewski argues, however, that the quality of the victory was the decisive factor.
– As for Adam Masaev, in my opinion, his wins simply carry more weight than Dawid’s. In my view, the value of Dawid’s win over Daniel Skibiński is similar to his win over Konrad Rusiński (who wasn’t ranked at the time, but had just come off two very good wins over Fadipe and Machmudov), with the difference being that Masaev won his fight quickly by stoppage, while Kuczmarski went the full distance.
– Finally, this is just my opinion—you may agree with it or not—but ultimately, the fighters must regularly prove their ranking positions in the ring.
The sports director’s explanations will certainly not put an end to the discussion surrounding the latest KSW rankings. On the contrary—we can expect the topic to resurface at future events, especially if the fighters ranked at the top have the opportunity to prove their standing in head-to-head bouts.
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