Phil De Fries explains how he overcame ‘severe mental health issues’ that caused him to ‘bottle’ Todd Duffee fight 10 years ago ahead of rematch he hopes will lead to Alistair Overeem clash
British MMA star Phil De Fries hopes to redeem himself when he takes on Todd Duffee at KSW 79 in Czech Republic on Saturday night.
The 36-year-old has enjoyed a dominant run as KSW’s heavyweight champion, defending his title seven times since capturing it in April 2018.
However, things have not always gone so well for De Fries during his 29-fight MMA career, in part, due to his ‘severe mental health issues’ that caused him to ‘bottle’ fights.
He told talkSPORT: “Fighting was sheer terror. I hated every minute of it. I didn’t even like my life, my life was horrible, but the fighting was so terrifying.
“When I acknowledged the fact I had severe anxiety, I didn’t even know what anxiety was. I kind of lost the plot entirely and I realised I wasn’t quite right.
“I was so blessed that the first course of medication the doctor put me on pretty much healed my anxiety. When I was anxiety-free it felt like euphoria. I was like, ‘Is this what normal feels like?’
“I still get nervous before fights, but this now is a much more enjoyable experience.”
One fight that De Fries admits his anxiety got the best of him was when he suffered a quick TKO defeat against Duffee at UFC 155 in December 2012.
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The Sunderland native, who has since won his mental health battle and a world championship belt, is adamant that he will put that loss right when they rematch at KSW 79.
De Fries added: “I had severe mental health issues in the past and I bottled that fight. I was scared and I bottled it. I was weak but he is going to see the real me fight this time.
“I didn’t even fight the last fight. I totally bottled it. I was terrified and I bottled it and let someone bash me up, basically.
"This time, he’s going to have a dog fight on his hands with a guy who is better than him and got more momentum on his side.
“What’s he done in the last ten years? He beat me ten years ago and he’s done nothing since. He’s going to get a bit of a shock when he fights the real me.”
After he’s redeemed himself by beating Duffee, who has fought just three times since 2012, De Fries is hoping to land a fight with UFC legend Alistair Overeem.
He revealed: “We are trying to get this Overeem fight. Overeem is definitely on the radar. If that can come off, that would be beautiful for me, and I would love that!
“KSW are treating me good, they are paying me well. So, I’ll stay here until they get sick of us but hopefully, this Overeem fight comes off.”
Overeem was a long-time heavyweight contender in the UFC before being released by MMA’s premier promotion in 2021, bulking up and going back to his kickboxing roots.
‘Reem’ boasts high-profile wins over Vitor Belfort, Mark Hunt, Fabricio Werdum, and Brock Lesnar and he would certainly be the most credentialed opponent De Fries has ever faced.