Artur Szpilka’s journey into combat sports began unconventionally. Before entering the boxing world, the former world title challenger gained experience as a football hooligan, affiliating with the ultras of Polish club Wisla Krakow. Szpilka, who initially had little interest in football, joined these groups primarily for organized fights between rival hooligans.

It was during one of these arranged confrontations that a local boxing coach, Wlodzimierz Cwierz, proposed settling disputes through boxing. Szpilka accepted the challenge and emerged victorious, prompting him to start training under Cwierz’s guidance and transition into professional boxing.

As an amateur, Szpilka achieved success by winning the Polish national heavyweight title and reaching the quarterfinals of the junior world championships. His professional career began in 2008, and he amassed a notable 16-fight winning streak before suffering his first defeat against Bryant Jennings in 2014. Despite this setback, Szpilka rebounded with a significant victory over Tomasz Adamek.

Subsequent wins over opponents like Ty Cobb, Manuel Quezada, and Yasmany Consuegra elevated Szpilka’s status in the WBC heavyweight rankings, culminating in a world title opportunity against Deontay Wilder. Despite causing early trouble for Wilder with his elusive style, Szpilka was eventually knocked out in the ninth round.

Following his encounter with Wilder, Szpilka experienced a mixed record in subsequent fights, alternating wins and losses against various opponents. His boxing career concluded after a decisive defeat to Lukasz Rozanski in 2021, prompting Szpilka’s transition to mixed martial arts (MMA) under the KSW promotion.

In MMA, Szpilka continued his competitive streak with victories over Serhiy Radchenko and Denis Zalecki, leading to a high-profile bout against Mariusz Pudzianowski, a five-time winner of the ‘World’s Strongest Man’ competition.