45 Fights Later, Palaszewski Still Going Strong

By Frank Curreri

No matter how trying the circumstances, Bart Palaszewski just keeps plugging away. After all, how many other pro fighters start their careers 0-4 yet recover to make a name for themselves?

That is precisely what the Poland-born 26-year-old has done, packing 45 fights into his pro career so far while also demonstrating a willingness to step into the cage with anyone. Palaszewski’s list of veteran foes includes a large cast of recognizable fighters such as Gesias Calvalcante, Jim Miller, Clay Guida, Anthony Njokuani, Chris Horodecki, Alex Karalexis and Deividas Taurosevicius. Coming off a big win over rising, then-unbeaten prospect Anthony Pettis, “Bartimus” (32-13) recently talked to the WEC about his future goals, his prospects for eclipsing the 100-fight barrier, and his next opponent, Karen Darabedyan, whom he will face on March 6 in Columbus, Ohio.

WEC: You’ve been fighting for eight years and averaging roughly six fights a year. At this pace do you think you will eventually surpass 100 fights? And how much longer do you intend to keep fighting?
Palaszewski: I have no idea how much longer. Maybe nine years. When I first started I just took every fight possible. I’ve been slowing down a lot the past couple of years. I don’t want to just take fights to take them; I want to take the fights that I want.

WEC: What’s the advantage of possessing so much experience in a live fight?
Palaszewski: There are guys out there that have 10 fights and they’ve spent a total of 20 minutes in the ring. I’ve had a lot of hours in the ring, so I don’t get too nervous in the cage. Once I’m in the cage I have zero stress and zero nerves. Everything just goes blank. It’s like a high, almost. Now, when I’m backstage in the locker room, I lose my mind, right up until I get ready to walk toward the cage.

WEC: What was the lowest point in your career?
Palaszewski: There are two low points: The very beginning of my career when I lost four in a row and I was young and dumb enough not to care. And in the IFL, when I lost three in a row. That was very hard mentally.

WEC: Your next opponent is Karen Darabedyan, who is 9-1 and owns black belts in judo, tae kwon do and Karate and was unbeaten (12-0) as an amateur boxer. What are your impressions of him as a fighter?
Palaszewski: He’s an awesome fighter, man. I was really impressed with his performance against Rob McCullough. He beat Rob at his own game, which is standup. We have very similar styles. If he stands with me I think it will be a helluva’ fight.

WEC: Do you have a gameplan for his fight?
Answer: If I don’t have a gameplan, nothing can go wrong. I just prepare my grappling, my standup and my wrestling and train as hard as a I can. My coaches watch film and footage of guys I fight. Personally, I don’t watch footage on anybody. I just go in there and fight, man. If there is too much breaking it down and watching footage, and all that B.S., then I think it becomes more of a job than something I love. I don’t know if that’s a dumb way to think about it or not, but that’s the way I feel about it.

WEC: You’re coming off an impressive split decision victory over Anthony Pettis (7-1). Where does that win rank in your career?
Palaszewski: It’s a huge win. It would have been huge for him, too, if he had won because he would be getting a title shot. I’m not up for a title shot but it kept me in the WEC and in the mix. I give him a lot of credit; the kid is a phenomenal fighter and very hard to prepare for. It was a hard fight. People ask me, ‘How did you feel about the split decision?’ Hey man, I’ll take it. I haven’t even seen the fight so I can’t tell you how close it was. I got all of the takedowns and I was on top a lot of the time. We banged each other up on our feet; he dropped me once and I dropped him, too, so that even things out. It was a grinder, a rough fight.

WEC: Right after the fight between you and Pettis you had a colorful few words with his trainer, Duke Roufus. What happened there?
Palaszewski: I was upset about some stuff that happened in the cage. Me and Duke have clashed heads before in the past, and the fight was a close call so we had an exchange of words. We were swearing at each other … as we left the cage. But we buried the hatchet. We sat down and talked and now it’s all good between him and me.

WEC: Do you have a prediction for your bout with Karen on March 6 in Columbus?
Palaszewski: I’m not going to make a prediction. Win or lose, I definitely predict a good fight. I can promise you that.