Issue 191

July 2020

After beating his inner demons, Phil de Fries is now beating some of the best in the world. A new man, his ambitions now are limitless.

It’s not often fighters get cut from the UFC and go on to do bigger and better things, but English heavyweight Phil de Fries is living proof that anything is possible.

The 34-year-old is the current KSW heavyweight champion and has defended his title three times since winning it in 2018. Riding a six-fight win streak, de Fries is regarded as one of the best heavyweights in the world fighting outside of the UFC and Bellator and his most recent victory over UFC veteran Luis Henrique proved that he’s up there with the elite in his division.

De Fries’ run as the KSW heavyweight champion began at KSW 43 in Wroclaw, Poland when he upset the oddsmakers and defeated Michal Andryszak in Wroclaw, Poland. It was a result that not many saw coming, but de Fries has gone on to prove it was no fluke with title defenses against KSW favorites Karol Bedorf and Tomasz Narkun, in addition to his victory over Henrique at KSW 50 last September.

Few would have predicted de Fries would be holding one of Europe’s premier heavyweight titles in 2020, but according to the man himself even during his run in the UFC he was only ever showing just a glimpse of his true ability. The truth is de Fries had a fight he had to win outside of the cage before he could show his ability in it and speaking recently to Fighters Only, he explained how mental demons had been plaguing him ever since he was young.

“Since I was a child, I’ve had the most crippling anxiety,” De Fries said. “I didn’t know I had it for a long time and being terrified was just normal. It was only recently I actually started taking medication and it’s made the world of difference and as a fighter, I haven’t lost since. The fights I lost in the UFC, I lost them because I bottled it and I was scared. I fought terribly and I was a lamb to the slaughter. Now I’m a different guy.”

This anxiety was an issue de Fries had to deal with until his thirties. Despite competing in over 17 MMA fights, the Englishman was battling with his mental health and it was getting the better of him whenever he was under the bright lights.

“This was only like three years ago when I was 30,” De Fries said. “This was like four months before I started my win streak. I knew before then I was good but because I was training at Alliance MMA with the likes of [Alexander] Gustafsson and Phil Davis and I’d be winning rounds. In the gym, I was a force to be reckoned with, but in fights, I’d just fall to bits and s*** my pants. I’d just crumble under pressure. I genuinely couldn’t even think straight. It was just a horrible way to be.”

One fight, in particular, will forever haunt de Fries. In February 2012 de Fries faced future UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic in Omaha, Nebraska. The Englishman was undefeated at the time, but so was Miocic who was riding high following an impressive display in his UFC debut when he soundly defeated veteran Joey Beltran.

It was a fight where de Fries admits he was defeated before he even entered the Octagon.

“The worst I ever felt was when I fought Stipe Miocic in 2012,” De Fries admitted. “All the oddsmakers had me as a huge underdog and all I could think to myself was that they must know what is happening. I was convinced that I was going to lose. I was terrified and so scared. That was easily the worst I’ve ever felt.”

When his mental issues started creeping over into his everyday life, de Fries knew he had to get help. Following a series of bizarre incidents at home, the Englishman summoned up the bravery to speak to a doctor. Suffice to say, life has been far better since.

“When I was in the UFC I was into partying and doing the odd bit of drugs and stuff and to be honest I was going a little bit insane,” De Fries recalled. “I would have to check that my front door was locked twenty times before I would go to practice. I would lock it, walk five steps, and then turn back and see if it’s still locked. Then I’d walk a few minutes and then think, ‘Was that yesterday I locked the door?’ and then have to go back and check again. Then I would be thinking ‘Have I locked the back door?’ or ‘Did I leave the oven on?’ It would take me 30 minutes just to leave the house.

“One day I remember sitting there thinking ‘Oh my God, did I get the dog back in after their wee this morning?’” he continued. “I had to tell my boss and leave work and when I got back the dog was just in his bed minding his business. I remember thinking then that this just isn’t normal. I researched anxiety and realized that this is what I must have. I’m so lucky that the doctor I spoke to about it was so good to me and got me the right medication.”

Though it was de Fries himself who decided he needed to get professional help, one man never left his side. His longtime friend and coach Andrew Fisher never lost faith in his ability and even at his lowest point was encouraging him to continue to come to the gym to train.

“When I was a nervous wreck and a fat mess, my coach Andrew Fisher believed in me,” de Fries explained. “I was depressed, but he put the time into me and got me down the gym without asking for any money from me. He’s just an amazing guy and even now he won’t take money from me.

“He told me I was one of the best in the world and gave me the belief that I could get to where I am now. He invested so much time into me when I was nothing. Without him, I wouldn’t be where I was now. In life, we all need someone like Andrew Fisher.”

Since being prescribed medication to combat his anxiety, de Fries has been a totally different fighter. With wins in M-1 and Bellator preceding his current championship reign in KSW, the Englishman has proven that he’s able to mix it with the best heavyweights in the world and is on a six-fight winning streak.

The feelings he experiences heading to the cage now are markedly different to what he experienced earlier in his career and it’s no surprise he’s currently performing at a much higher level.

“Now I just go out there, soak it all in and enjoy myself,” de Fries said. “It’s still nerve-wracking, but when I get there and walk to the cage, touching everyone’s hands, then I just think it’s great. All these people are here to watch me and it’s my opportunity to impress people. In my last few fights, I’ve enjoyed it. Before it was sheer terror and I’ve no idea why I did it. I think I did it because where I’m from if you’re a fighter you get a certain respect. The weird thing was when I first started, I was beating people, but the anxiety caught up to me.”

“When Stipe beat me I wasn’t scared of being hurt or being beaten; I was scared of people laughing at me and thinking I was a joke,” he continued. “I was scared of embarrassing myself and people laughing at me, but not now. I don’t care. I fight and then go home and spend time with my family. I don’t fear losing anymore. Before I was terrified.”

The fight where de Fries really turned over a new leaf was when he fought Andryszak for the KSW heavyweight title. Most thought that the Pole would steamroll de Fries and that a new Polish KSW heavyweight champion would be crowned, but little did they know that de Fries was a different man.

“When I fought Andryszak I came in a massive underdog but in my head, I believed I was going to win that fight,” De Fries explained. “No one else expected me to win the title and to be honest I don’t think anyone expected me to defend each time after. The run I’m on at the minute is the best of my career and it’s a dream come true.

“Before the fight, I was watching Rocky in the changing room,” De Fries continued with a laugh. “Norman Parke was in the same locker room as me and he couldn’t believe I was watching that before walking out there. The venue was over 100 years old and was one of the only buildings that survived WW2. It was just a fantastic night and one of the best of my career.”

After enduring an early onslaught from Andryszak, de Fries was able to turn the tide and finish the fight via TKO in the first round. Three title defenses later, the 34-year-old remains as the champion and was expected to defend the title multiple times this year until the COVID-19 global pandemic wreaked havoc across the world.

The lack of fights has hit de Fries financially, but he revealed he would have pulled out of his next fight anyway due to an injury.

“It’s absolute madness,” de Fries said about the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s been a hit in the pocket because I was meant to be fighting in March, but I did pick up a pretty bad injury just before then so I don’t think I would’ve been able to fight anyway. The injury should only keep me out of action for about a month so in a way, the virus has come at a relatively good time for me. I’ve been able to suspend my mortgage and all that, so it’s not been as bad as it could’ve been.

De Fries’ injury doesn’t appear to have long-term ramifications, but it’s certainly made life uncomfortable over the past few months. The KSW champion has been doing all he can to keep active whilst in lockdown, though rehabilitation has not been easy.

“I’ve bought a road bike and just been hitting the bags,” De Fries said. “I’ve just been trying to keep motivated. I’ve had Piriformis syndrome which is basically when a muscle in you’re a*** swells up and like nips your nerve so you can’t move your leg. I’ve had to do all sorts from massaging myself to using acupuncture pins and a machine to electrocute the muscle. The injury is treatable, but it’s not been the easiest to deal with especially in the circumstances.

“I was able to speak to a doctor on the phone, but they were only able to give me some pain medication. The therapist I have did their best, but I still got ahead of myself at one point hitting the bag and I put myself back a bit.”

There have been no official announcements about when KSW might return to action though it’s widely rumored that the organization could be holding fights as soon as July. De Fries has yet to reach out to the KSW bosses Martin Lewandowski or Maciej Kawulski about his next fight, but he seemingly wouldn’t be all that surprised if they kept him back for a show in the UK later this year.

“I spoke to KSW in March and they mentioned that the show I was originally booked on might go on behind closed doors,” De Fries explained. “Then it got announced that only Polish people were allowed in the country so that basically canceled the event. I know they’re trying to come to London again later this year, but right now I think they know nothing more than I do. I haven’t messaged them yet, but I imagine they’ll want me to fight on that card.”

With no clear top contender in KSW’s heavyweight division, de Fries has recently been linked with a fight against former World’s Strongest Man, Mariusz Pudzianowski. The 43-year-old Pole is coming to the end of his MMA career, though a win against Erko Jun last November has many wondering if he will finally get a shot to compete for KSW heavyweight against de Fries.

The Englishman didn’t seem totally against the idea of fighting the legendary Polish strongman, but he wasn’t sure whether KSW would want to put Pudzianowski against a fighter like him.

“I’d love to fight Pudzianowski but I think I’d beat him pretty easily and it wouldn’t be that competitive,” De Fries said. “I don’t think KSW would want to see him get mashed. I know he would be motivated though. Maybe if he is thinking about a retirement fight and that he’d like to fight for a title? I don’t know, but if it got offered to me, then I’d love to do it. I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

KSW Colosseum in May 2017 was the second-highest MMA event of all time with 57,776 fans packing out The PFE Narodowy in Warsaw, Poland. With KSW aiming to put on a second event of that magnitude in the coming years, de Fries said he would love nothing more than to compete on the card and defend his title.

“Who wouldn’t like to fight in front of that many people? Perhaps not me a few years ago,” De Fries said with a laugh. “I’m sure they’d love a big heavyweight fight on that card, so I’d love to be a part of that. I saw the first one they did and it was one of the best live events I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t be able to say ‘no’ to fighting in an atmosphere like that.”

Having held the title for over a year and a half now, de Fries has proven to everyone that he’s one of the elite heavyweight mixed martial artists in the world. Having left the UFC under a cloud in 2013 following a loss to Matt Mitrione, there’s now talk of the Englishman making a return to the UFC Octagon.

Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, but for the minute at least, de Fries is more than content with life in KSW and continuing to provide for his family.

“I honestly believe I could have a run at the UFC title and I think I could beat anyone on my day,” De Fries said. “I’ve wrestled with division one wrestlers and put them on their back and I get them down. I’m so happy at KSW though and I’m just hoping they can bring across some big signings so I can get some big fights. They treat with me such great respect and are so easy to deal with.

“At the moment the most important thing for me is providing for my family,” he continued. “My plan over the next five years is to earn a lot of money and invest it wisely. KSW pay me well and right now the plan is to get myself a nice little nest egg and then go from there. I wouldn’t say no to the UFC, but KSW remains my focus for the minute.”