Phil De Fries heads into KSW 117 with one other title protection on the schedule, however his newest discuss gave the larger story: the long-reigning KSW heavyweight champion spoke intimately in regards to the anxiousness that formed a lot of his life and profession, whereas additionally laying out how he’s making ready for Marcin Wójcik in Warsaw on April 18. De Fries vs. Wójcik because the heavyweight title combat within the co-main spot at XTB KSW 117 at COS Torwar, with De Fries getting into for his 14th title protection.
Phil De Fries says “I’m going for the end, first or second spherical” earlier than KSW 117 title protection
This combat provides one other chapter to one of many longest energetic title runs in European MMA. It’s De Fries’ 14th title protection, and his reign has already turn into the longest in KSW historical past, together with the corporate document for heavyweight title defenses.
Wójcik is a reside challenger, not a placeholder. He’s shifting into simply his second combat at heavyweight after a December win over former UFC title challenger Augusto Sakai, a end result that gave him momentum and added intrigue to this matchup.
De Fries made clear in your interview that he sees the hazard. He known as Wójcik “a knockout machine” and stated camp shifted in response, with a concentrate on bringing in companions who matched “his physique sort and his attributes” as a substitute of staying solely with the acquainted work he normally will get from Mick Parkin and Tom Aspinall.
“I feel it’ll be a document that stands for a really very long time, 10 years champion of a significant organisation, particularly at heavyweight the place you make one improper transfer and you could possibly be flatlined… I’m going for the end, first or second spherical.”
Wójcik spent a lot of his profession at mild heavyweight, the place his motion and putting helped separate him from many opponents. De Fries, although, has dealt with nearly each form of problem put in entrance of him throughout his KSW run, together with a submission win over Arkadiusz Wrzosek in June 2025 and a call victory over Augusto Sakai in June 2024.
Nervousness
De Fries spoke intimately about years of extreme anxiousness, describing repeated checks of doorways and home equipment, worry round on a regular basis cellphone calls, and a degree the place regular life felt laborious to handle. He stated he finally searched his signs on-line, noticed a physician, began treatment, and after a couple of months felt the anxiousness “simply lifted.” He nonetheless takes the treatment and believes that change lined up with a significant enchancment in each his life outdoors the cage and his performances inside it.
“Life wasn’t gratifying to me. The physician prescribed these tablets and so they stated it’ll take three months to work, and in three months my anxiousness simply lifted. I actually couldn’t imagine how good regular felt. My win streak coincides with beating anxiousness utterly, so I’m scared to come back off them. When the anxiousness lifted, I keep in mind strolling out and pondering, ‘This isn’t so unhealthy. I can get pleasure from this second a bit. I can benefit from the power, the sector.’”
He defined that earlier than remedy, he fought with out actual calm and felt he was reacting on intuition as a substitute of really studying from what was taking place round him. Now he feels in a position to assume within the cage, construct actual expertise, and even get pleasure from elements of combat week and combat night time. For a champion already deep right into a historic reign, that could be a notable level: he doesn’t sound like somebody who thinks his greatest years are behind him.
Wójcik brings velocity, energy, and a unique look than many current challengers. De Fries nonetheless enters as the person the division in KSW.
Watch KSW 117
Watch KSW 117 Right here
KSW 117 takes place on April 18 at COS Torwar in Warsaw, Poland, with Adrian Bartosiński vs. Andrzej Grzebyk for the welterweight title set as the primary occasion and Phil De Fries vs. Marcin Wójcik for the heavyweight title featured on the cardboard as properly. The occasion additionally contains key bouts resembling Salahdine Parnasse vs. Marian Ziółkowski, Artur Szpilka vs. Errol Zimmerman, and a middleweight title combat between Paweł Pawlak and Mamed Khalidov, giving the lineup a mixture of championship fights, established names, and crossover enchantment.
