MMA fighter withdraws €60K claim against Kildare landlord after plaintiff's fight video emerges

A landlord from Kildare has expressed his relief after a case against him was withdrawn when Youtube footage of a fight that the plaintiff was taking part in emerged.

Kamil 'The Rebel' Dudek took a case against his former landlord Denis Power, who he claimed rear-end him outside the property he was renting from Mr Power at Caragh Meadows in Naas in 2014, and sought €60,000 in compensation.

Mr Dudek was asked to vacate the property by his landlord on May 5 2014, but he phoned Gardaí four days prior to that date to report that Mr Power had run into the back of his vehicle. 33-year-old Dudek claimed that he had back and neck pain following the incident.

The Polish MMA fighter was recorded fighting in a cage bout in December 2015 however, and he also competed in the Grapple- Palooza World Cup in 2015 despite the claims of his injuries. He claimed that he was able to fight due to a prescription of painkillers that got him through the contests, and though medical reports suggested he stills suffers from intermittent pain, he withdrew the claim following the emergence of the footage.

Mr Dudek and his partner Rafal Lazarek both took separate claims to Naas District Court, with the latter claiming to suffer from neck and shoulder injuries following the alleged incident.

Mr Power claimed that the incident never happened, and Liberty Insurance defended the case on his behalf.

"I was determined the insurance company wouldn't settle with him," Mr Power told the Herald following the case.

"I wanted this case to go to court for it to be highlighted.

"I feel satisfied and vindicated with what has transpired. However, I feel with the law as it is that matters like this go dead unless pursued by the gardai and DPP.

"This has taken its toll on me. I wanted to get on with my life but there was that torment there all the time and it's only now I feel the relief of being free of this.

"I never did a thing wrong and these claims were totally unwarranted. All this has done has hardened my attitude to being a landlord.

"I wouldn't rent my house again. I was a good landlord and I was fair but I couldn't trust anyone to be a tenant again after this."