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Former footballer who once faced Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League, Jakub Rzezniczak, is set to make his MMA debut next month.
The 37-year-old, known for his tenure as a Poland international and his contributions to clubs like Legia and Qarabag, will step into the MMA arena for the first time in Katowice on June 8, facing off against Tomasz Matysiak.
Rzezniczak's football career has been marked by notable achievements, including his role in helping Legia secure Champions League group-stage qualification during the 2016/17 season. Facing teams like Sporting Lisbon, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid in the group stage, Rzezniczak appeared in five out of six matches for his team.
Following his stint at Legia, Rzezniczak continued to pursue his football career, moving to Qarabag where he once again tasted Champions League football.
Rzezniczak's Legia Warsaw had faced Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid in back-to-back home-and-away fixtures in the UEFA Champions League group stages in 2016/17. While the team suffered a crushing 5-1 defeat at the hands of Los Blancos in the first leg, Warsaw's commendable efforts saw them secure a 3-3 draw in the reverse fixture at their home stadium.
Cristiano Ronaldo went on to win the Champions League Golden Boot that season
2016/17 turned out to be yet another successful season for Spanish giants Real Madrid. Los Blancos went on to win their second consecutive UEFA Champions League title after beating Juventus in the final.
Cristiano Ronaldo was UCL's top scorer that season. The Portugese international scored in Madrid's two opening games against his boyhood club Sporting CP and German outfit Borussia Dortmund. He failed to register his name on the scoresheet for a while, but scored five crucial goals against Bayern Munich across the two legs of their quarter final tie.
Cristiano scored back-to-back hattricks at Santigao Bernabeu, first in the second leg against Bayern Munich and then against derby rivals Atletico Madrid. He scored a brace in the final versus Juventus in Cardiff, clinching his fourth and Madrid's 12th UCL crown.
Under the leadership of Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid went on to three-peat the Champions League, winning it for a third consecutive season in 2018. Cristiano Ronaldo was yet again pivotal in Madrid's success, netting 15 goals and claiming his third-straight UCL Golden Boot.
