It wasn’t the spectacular clash some had expected, but KSW middleweight champion Scott Askham proved that he is much more than just a power striker on Saturday night, as he outfought and outgrappled returning legend Mamed Khalidov in the main event of KSW 52.

Khalidov (34-7-2 MMA, 17-3-2 KSW) returned from retirement in a bid to defeat Askham (19-4 MMA, 4-0 KSW) in their three-round non-title bout in Gliwice, Poland and put himself firmly in the frame for more huge fights in 2020. But he came up against a more well-rounded fighter than he perhaps expected, as the Brit nullified the Chechen-born Pole’s submission threat and dominated from the top position throughout a grueling three-round battle.

Former middleweight champ Khalidov was successful in avoiding Askham’s most damaging strikes as he made a concerted effort to step inside the Brit’s much-vaunted body kicks and initiate the clinch before moving to a takedown. While he was successful in getting Askham to the mat early in the fight, the reigning middleweight champion showed smart submission defense, and was far from shy when it came to engaging Khalidov on the ground.

In the end, Askham’s all-around MMA game proved just too strong for the returning hero, as he claimed the unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards.

Also on the main card, rising French star Salahdine Parnasse showcased his slick striking and nerveless temperament as he defeated former Cage Warriors lightweight title challenger Ivan Buchinger and retained his KSW featherweight title after five dominant rounds.

After a punch-perfect opening round from Parnasse (14-0-1 MMA, 5-0 KSW), Buchinger (37-2 MMA, 0-1 KSW) bit down on his mouthpiece and met the Frenchman in the center of the cage more frequently in the second. But Parnasse continued to hold all the aces, both at range and in the clinch.

Despite finding himself on the wrong end of his opponent’s striking game, Buchinger nearly grabbed a shock submission in Round 3 as he locked up a modified guillotine, but Parnasse kept his cool and worked his way free.

And Parnasse completed his masterful performance as he busted up Buchinger’s face with his snapping jab and slick southpaw left throughout the championship rounds as he cruised to a landslide decision victory on the scorecards.

The event was promotionally branded “The Race” and the finishes came fast and furious elsewhere on the card, with the other seven matchups on the slate delivering six KOs and one submission. But the big winners were the two men whose hands were raised after going the distance, as KSW champions Askham and Parnasse finished 2019 on a high.

KSW 52 official results include:

• Scott Askham def. Mamed Khalidov via unanimous decision
• Szymon Kolecki def. Damian Janikowski via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:03
• Salahdine Parnasse def. Ivan Buchinger via unanimous decision
• Shamil Musaev def. Grzegorz Szulakowski via KO (spinning backfist) – Round 1, 1:17
• Karolina Owczarz def. Aleksandra Rola via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 4:35
• Artur Sowinzki def. Vinicius Bohrer via KO (head kick and punches) – Round 1, 0:52
• Michal Michalski def. Albert Odzimkowski via KO (punches) – Round 1, 4:31
• Maciej Kazeiczko def. Michael Dubois via KO (punch) – Round 1, 0:24
• Michal Wlodarek def. Srdan Marovic via KO (punches) – Round 1, 0:34