Take a dive into the new series, Inside the KSW Vault. Many amazing fighters have spent years perfecting their craft and showcasing their skills on the premier stage for European MMA, KSW. Follow along as we take a look at the many fighters, like Francis Carmont, and events, past and present, which have contributed to making KSW what it is today.
Francis Carmont
Francis Carmont, a French striker, is a veteran of almost 40 professional fights in all the top-flight organizations in the world including KSW, UFC, and Bellator. Carmont became known to many after joining the UFC where he started his career with the promotion on a six-fight winning streak. Prior to his time in the UFC, Carmont was a five-fight veteran of KSW, winning the KSW 5 one-night light heavyweight tournament. He defeated three men in one night to win the tournament.
KSW 5: Konfrontacja Tournament
On June 03, 2006 KSW held their one-night tournament, KSW 5: Konfrontacja. Carmont defeated three opponents in one night with each bout consisting of up to two rounds. In the finals Carmont defeated Robert Jocz by unanimous decision. Jocz would go on to retire in 2012 with a record of 21-8. The event would be the last to take place in the initial home of KSW events, Hotel Marriott, located in Warsaw, Poland. The first five events took place in this building before eventually expanding outward. Martin Lewandowski, co-founder of KSW, was the manager of the Hotel Marriott when future co-owner Maciej Kawulski was planning a large sports expo in Poland.
Bouts following KSW 5
After winning the KSW 5 tournament, Carmont took on a couple of bouts before returning for the KSW 8 tournament on November 10, 2007. Carmont lost in the first round this time but no shame in the loss as it came to future KSW heavyweight champion, Karol Bedorf. Bedorf lost in the semi-finals to eventual winner Alexey Oleynik. To date, Oleynik is nearing 60 professional career wins and is a top-ranked UFC heavyweight, winning Performance of the Night bonuses in his last two bouts. The tournament also featured current top-ranked UFC light heavyweight and former KSW staple, Jan Blachowicz.
Final KSW Appearance
Carmont’s final appearance in the KSW cage came at KSW Extra on September 13, 2008. This event took place between KSW 9 and KSW 10. Carmont left the organization on a high note submitting Lukasz Jurkowski in the first round. Jurkowski either won or made it to the finals of several of the first tournaments held by KSW including the first tournament at KSW 1. The Extra card also featured the lone KSW appearance of UFC light heavyweight title contender Alexander Gustafsson and a lightweight tournament finals victory for Maciej Gorski.
Brief Post-KSW Run Review
Over the next two years after his last KSW bout, Carmont earned a record of 4-0 before joining the UFC. During his first two years in the UFC Carmont set the middleweight division on fire collecting a 6-0 record. Costas Phillippou, Lorenz Larkin, and Tom Lawlor are some of the name left in Carmont’s wake.
Unfortunately, Carmont hit a three-fight losing skid starting with Jacare Souza at UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Mousasi. After his release from the UFC, Carmont joined Bellator for the remaining five fights of his career. Once in Bellator Carmont returned to the light heavyweight division where he scored a victory over Anthony Ruiz. He then challenged Phil Davis at Bellator 142: Dynamite 1 for the light heavyweight tournament final. Though he lost the contest to Davis, Carmont would rebound and earn the final victory of his career in spectacular fashion by D’Arce choke against Lukasz Klinger at Bellator 158.
Make sure to follow along the “Inside the KSW Vault” journey as we continue to explore the history of KSW. Make sure to check out the previous installments of Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Jan Blachowicz here.
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