Damian Knyba

Bio

Damian Knyba is a 6-foot-7 heavyweight out of Poland who has made New Jersey his adopted second home, fighting out of the Prudential Center in Newark on multiple occasions. Standing over every opponent he's faced, Knyba's game is built around a long, educated jab and the kind of size that makes distance a weapon in itself.

The Polish Hussar built his 17-0 start on patient, technical performances, using his reach to keep smaller heavyweights on the end of his punches before closing the show late. It is a style that has made him a genuine 15-round threat to anyone in the division's chasing pack.

His first professional defeat came in January 2026, a third-round stoppage against Agit Kabayel in an interim WBC title eliminator in Germany — a tough night against a fighter who has since been elevated to full WBC heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt. It was a setback, not a verdict on his career.

On September 4, Knyba gets the biggest platform of his career, headlining at his adopted home venue against former unified champion Andy Ruiz Jr on TNT and DAZN. A statement win here puts him straight back into world title contention at heavyweight.