British MMA fighter Phil de Fries, after defending his KSW heavyweight title, expressed his desire to fight lineal heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, claiming he’s the best choice for Ngannou’s return and is ready to participate in a cross-promotion fight if necessary.
Phil de Fries is confident that he would be the best choice for a possible face-off with Francis Ngannou. He expressed this belief after successfully defending his KSW heavyweight title after defeating Szymon Bajor at KSW 84. This victory marked de Fries’ ninth consecutive title defence and sixth consecutive finish and has now set his eyes on Francis Ngannou, the reigning heavyweight champion. He backs his claim by maintaining that he is too proficient for most heavyweights, a conviction strengthened by solid sparring sessions and impressive performance against top contenders. Martin Lewandowski made a proposition about a potential encounter with Ngannou, an idea that de Fries embraced.
However, there are logistical hurdles to overcome. For one thing, a fight against Ngannou would require a co-promotion, given that de Fries still has a fight left on his KSW contract while Ngannou is signed with the PFL. Despite recognizing this as a long shot, de Fries remains hopeful. “They can make it happen,” he stated. “Let’s do a cross promotion, let’s bring it over. Let’s just do it. I think I’m the right sort of guy to beat Francis. You need a grappler to beat that sort of guy and I’d be more than happy to do it wherever. Let’s just get it on.”
De Fries continued by asserting the possibility of the fight even further. Even though he acknowledges its probability, he insists that he is capable of winning and believes the public would be interested in such a fight. He also does not rule out the possibility of departing from his current home KSW after his contract ends. Especially considering the enticing $2 million Ngannou’s future opponents stand to gain, de Fries stated, “I am going to chase this Francis thing because $2 million, that’s a lot of money for the kids. That’s like dream life money.”
While de Fries is looking forward to a potential match with Ngannou, it appears Ngannou is preoccupied with plans for a boxing match with Tyson Fury in October. De Fries adds that he may contribute to preparing Fury for Ngannou through potential sparring sessions as he has a connection with Fury via his training partner, Tom Aspinall. Despite his proficiencies in heavyweight grappling, de Fries gives Fury the upper hand in their upcoming fight. However, he does not altogether dismiss Ngannou’s chances of claiming a victory.