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Iwo Baraniewski | You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
Polish Light Heavyweight Is On The Fast-Track To The Top, But He Says He Hasn’t Unleashed His Entire Arsenal Yet
It’s been a whirlwind start to life in the UFC for Iwo Baraniewski, with the judoka-turned-mixed martial artist already three fights and three wins into his UFC career since his debut last December. Now he’s looking to break into the light heavyweight top 15.
Baraniewski’s career started off in typically quickfire fashion as he won his first two fights by armbar, then his next three by knockout, as he raced to 5-0 while fighting for Polish promotion Babilon MMA.
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That attracted the attention of the UFC’s matchmakers, who gave him a shot at the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series. His fight against fellow undefeated prospect Mahamed Aly lasted just 20 seconds, as he blasted his way into the UFC with the fastest win of his career.
DWCS Full Fight | Iwo Baraniewski vs Mahamed Aly
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DWCS Full Fight | Iwo Baraniewski vs Mahamed Aly
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Since he got to the big stage, he’s continued to fight like a man with an early dinner reservation as he’s demolished three successive opponents, all in the first round, all by knockout.
His 99-second KO of Ibo Aslan was one of the craziest one-rounders we saw in 2025, while former heavyweight Austen Lane lasted just 28 seconds as Baraniewski found his mark early against the former NFL vet. Most recently, he faced knockout artist Junior Tafa, and put him away in just 85 seconds with a nasty leg kick and vicious follow-up strikes.
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Now Baraniewski is in Los Angeles for his latest assignment, as he has the responsibility of opening up the main card at Crypto.com UFC 331, where he’ll take on No. 14-ranked Alonzo Menifield.
“It's exciting for me. It's the first time I’ll be fighting on the main card of a numbered event, so it's a huge motivation,” he said.
“It's very good because the whole arena will be full of people, so I can show my skill in front of thousands of people.
“After my last one, I hoped that my next fight would be with somebody from the top 15. It is, so I am happy, very happy, that I can fight for a ranking [spot].”
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Menifield is an 18-fight veteran of the Octagon, and in his most recent fight he finished surging Chinese light heavyweight Zhang Mingyang in the first round in the Fight of the Night at UFC Macau. It showed that Menifield is more than capable of getting into a firefight with a powerful striker and emerging victorious.
“I think that he is a very dangerous striker. He is an experienced fighter,” said Baraniewski.
Full Fight | Iwo Baraniewski vs Ibo Aslan
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Full Fight | Iwo Baraniewski vs Ibo Aslan
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“I hope that I will be hitting him, and he won’t be hitting me! But I hope that it will be a more technical fight.”
Baraniewski’s three Octagon performances to date can be described in two words: striking power. His three UFC victories so far have come in a combined three minutes, 22 seconds. They’ve aptly demonstrated his ability to finish fights the moment an opportunity arises. But, as he told us, he’s also more than happy to drag opponents into deep water, if the situation requires it.
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“Yes, I want to [show I can fight into the third round]. But if it will be the first round, I’ll take it!” he said.
“I'm ready for three rounds [and] I'm ready for a finish.”
Victory for Baraniewski would propel him into the light heavyweight top 15, which was one of the goals he set for himself when he first got into the UFC. Saturday offers a chance to accomplish that mission in just his fourth fight.
“For me, this is my dream,” he said.
RELATED: Iwo Baraniewski: 'Fans Can Expect Fireworks On Saturday'
“That whole journey, and everything I do in UFC, is my dream. So that is the next step to catch my dream.”
Baraniewski has built his early UFC reputation off the back of his prodigious punch power, but in his past conversations with us, he’s spoken of his desire to showcase other facets of his MMA arsenal that, so far, haven’t featured in his performances inside the Octagon.
Iwo Baraniewski Gets Round 1 TKO Against Junior Tafa | UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs Bonfim
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Iwo Baraniewski Gets Round 1 TKO Against Junior Tafa | UFC Fight Night: Muhammad vs Bonfim
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“I’ve talked about this in the past, but I want to show you my judo skills and my judo background, but we will see what will happen on Saturday,” he said.
“My preparation was great. I spar with a lot of top fighters from my country, so I am prepared for this, 100 percent.”
With both Baraniewski and Menifield stepping into the Octagon with proven knockout power at their disposal, a finish could come at any point, with their meeting on Saturday night set to be another don’t-blink affair.
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Baraniewski certainly expects it to be spectacular, and said the fans can expect some explosive action, for as long as the fight lasts.
“Fans can expect fireworks on Saturday,” he promised.
“I don't like to give you boring fights. I give you a lot of emotion, and I’ll show you this on Saturday.”
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