Unbeaten Polish standout Jakub
Kaszuba is exactly where he wants to be right now.
Kaszuba (12-0), who won the 2023 lightweight season of Professional Fighters League Europe, is content
in his training in Florida. Rather than moving to the global season
of the tournament-based league, he returned to PFL Europe for the
2024 season, in hopes of snagging another $100,000 check. His
campaign has gone well thus far, picking up a decision victory over
Kane
Mousah in March. The 29-year-old will stand across from the
cage with Daniele
Scatizzi in the semifinals in Glasgow, Scotland, on Sept.
28.
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Starting his career at 12-0, he knows that he is just now entering
his prime as an athlete, so he focuses on his daily training. Using
his circle of coaches that includes his wife, Kaszuba absorbs
everything he is taught like a sponge. Speaking to Sherdog.com
ahead of his semifinal pairing, Kaszuba discussed the patience in
which he’s used in his career, why he returned to PFL Europe and
how he represents Polish MMA.
“I just focus on my every day training, being consistent,” Kaszuba
stated. “One of my favorite quotes is about being consistently
average. That’s all I think about, it’s very short-term. I have
coaches for everything, my wife is my strength and nutrition coach
which is nice, I have a striking coach, I’ve got a
wrestling/jiu-jitsu coach, and they really help me keep myself
accountable and consistent. They give me different points of views
and then it’s up to me to evaluate myself, the truth lies somewhere
in the middle.”
After winning PFL Europe in 2023, Kaszuba sat back and watched the
merger between parent company PFL and Bellator MMA, unsure of where his place in the
organization would be. Not at all upset at the chance to cash
another six-figure check by winning three fights in a year, the
native of Olsztyn, Poland, expressed that it all worked out in the
end.
“I didn’t really have a choice because PFL went into the merger
with Bellator, and they were bringing Bellator guys into the
season,” he admitted. “Then they decided to keep me in PFL Europe,
which I was okay with because I think if I would’ve had a chance to
choose, I would’ve chosen to stay. I want more time for preparation
and to get better. I want more fights on my level. But after this
fight, I’ll be ready for anything that comes my way.”
As his pro career graduated from the confines of the Florida-based
Combat Night promotion, he found himself competing further away
from his team at Gracie Barra Jacksonville. Back in front of fans
in his home continent, Kaszuba grew while representing his nation
of Poland in a major organization.
“It was an honor to win it, I was finally able to relish in all
this glory after my fight in Paris [at PFL Europe 1 in 2024] since
I had time off, I got to appreciate what I did. It was nice to get
more exposure in Poland for the first time, I won the Polish Best
Discovery of MMA award. I’m getting recognized in Poland, slowly,
not a lot, but I’m getting there. That’s the point, I’m going to go
to PFL global and win $1 million, then represent Poland in that
way,” Kaszuba said confidently.
Standing in his way of another potential PFL Europe title is
Italy’s Scatizzi, a Bellator veteran who won his lone PFL Europe
encounter earlier this year. Knowing the aggressiveness of his
opponent, Kaszuba believes that cardio may be the biggest factor in
their
PFL Europe 3 collision.
“He’s a very ruthless guy, he comes forward,” the Polish fighter
noted. “It’s going to come down to whoever gets tired first,
whoever drops their hands. It’s that simple. It’s going to be a
good fight, it’s going to be a hell of a fight, it’s probably one
of the best matchups on the card. It’s going to be fun.”
A win over Scatizzi places Kaszuba back in another championship
bout, and he believe that he has the tools and the talent to take
advantage of this second opportunity to secure another PFL Europe
crown.
“Consistency and strength,” he identified. “I’m very consistent, I
got good conditioning, I’m healthy, I’m out here to bang. I’ll be
the most consistent fighter they’ve ever seen that can fight four
times a year and look great. It’s making of a future legend I would
say.”