Finally, the MC announced the next battle. He invited Mariusz, The Polish Boy, Tarnowski onto the stage. The crowd roared.
When The Polish Boy, an amateur MMA heavyweight fighter, stepped onto the ring, the Polish part of the audience began chanting loudly. Even though it was a Saturday before Easter, over 100 people showed up solely to support their friend, Mariusz Tarnowski, to many of them known simply as Maniek. “Maniek, Maniek, Maniek” and then “Polska, Polska, Polska” were the only words heard on the floor.
Shortly after, Tarnowski’s opponent, Barry Morovitz, entered the stage. A quick but firm shake of hands and the fight began. Kicking, hitting, blocking, slapping—nearly everything was fair game.
Mariusz Tarnowski
After three rounds, the battle was over. The crowd of nearly 2,000 people, in majority supporting The Polish Boy, impatiently awaited the verdict of three judges who were closely watching the arena for the past nine minutes.
Just moments later, Tarnowski’s hand was raised high and the winner announced. Screams of joy and congratulations, in both English and Polish, seemed to be endless.
“I was in shock. In a very positive state of shock. I didn’t know what was going on,” remembered Tarnowski, 25, a Polish immigrant, sipping an iced coffee on a warm Sunday afternoon, only a week after his fight. “Picture this: someone is raising your hand and suddenly everything around you is spinning. All eyes are fixed on you.
You feel as if you are standing in the middle of a stadium full of people. It’s really beautiful. Your heart rate goes up, even more so than during the fight itself. I would happily do it all again.”
Mariusz Tarnowski, who came to the U.S. only 1.5 years ago, had his first amateur Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight on April 11. After six months of hard training, Tarnowski’s five coaches set a date for his very first battle in America.
„I was ready for my first fight before; due to some technical difficulties, its date has been changed though. I knew that I would be fighting as soon as January or February,” Tarnowski explained.
The Polish Boy dreamt of fighting in the American league of MMA since he was a teenager. Back in Poland, he was training boxing. Before that, as a young boy in elementary school, he ran long distances and played soccer. Sport always played an important role in his life.
„Sport is my passion,” Tarnowski admitted, smiling. “I always wanted to learn boxing. I tried to get some training in Poland, wherever I could. But in Poland there aren’t that many possibilities.”
Tarnowski decided to make his dream of joining MMA in the U.S. come true. To him, the level of fighting seemed much greater in the States than in Poland. Moreover, the league was better structured and more professional.
A couple of months after his arrival to the U.S., Tarnowski joined the Karate Academy and began his training, which he continues to this day.
“He started in November and was very humble and eager to learn. I am very proud of his growth as a student and martial artist. He understands respect, patience and discipline. Most fighters today miss those qualities but in Mariusz his training will get him very far,” said Sensei Brian A. Tesoro via email.
Every day Mariusz runs for miles, does push-ups, sit-ups and other cardio exercises for a couple of hours. In addition to exercising, he works on nights and weekends as a guard in a Polish nightclub.
“Mariusz is a very driven person,” said Jakub, Jaga, Babinski, an amateur hip-hop artist and Tarnowski’s friend. “He is very goal-oriented. There was a time, quite recently, when he didn’t have a full-time job. He decided to eat less and limit his spendings to a bare minimum so he could afford his training.”
The Polish Boy has a dual personality, according to many of his friends. He is never aggressive or violent outside of the ring. On the contrary, he is calm and does not believe in fighting being a solution to problems.
“He is very different at home than on the ring. He is very nice and delicate. He’s a great boxer and at the same time a very romantic guy. That rarely happens. He is truly a wonderful person,” said Iwona Skowronska, 27, Tarnowski’s fiancée, gently hugging her future husband.
“Mariusz is a beast in nature and in training but genuinely a great guy,” said Sensei Tesoro via email.
Despite his hard situation and twisted past, The Polish Boy was able to fulfill one of his greatest desires—he started his career as an MMA fighter.
“I think I wanted to prove myself. I have started many things before, without ever ending them. Maybe because I wasn’t mature enough. The fact that I fought in MMA lifted my spirits. My first fight was a dream come true. I’m very happy I could do it,” Tarnowski said.
Tarnowski is now healing wounds after the battle and planning his summer wedding. He is moving to Canada in a couple of months. He hopes to continue his career over there.
“I would like to be a professional MMA fighter one day and fully commit myself to it. I will continue training, getting better and working on my record,” The Polish Boy revealed. With a spark in his eyes, he added, “Even though I suffered some injuries, I hope to do it all over again. There is nothing that can stop me.”