Tom Breese’s disappointing tenure in the PFL was partly due to his drug use, including magic mushrooms on fight night, which he admits affected his performance, but he is now focused on overcoming these issues and hopes to return to KSW for future fights.
No wonder Tom Breese had such a rocky stint in the PFL. Back in April, he faced Rob Wilkinson in the opening round of the PFL’s 2024 light heavyweight season. Things couldn’t have been worse; Wilkinson demolished him in just 70 seconds. A tough pill to swallow for the British fighter, but maybe not so surprising.
Breese recently confessed to Polish Fighters Info that he was under the influence on fight night. “I was on drugs in the fight,” Breese admitted. “I did magic mushrooms. I was taking drugs all week.” Honest, if nothing else. [Laughs] It was a rough time, indeed.
Interestingly, while the PFL tests for performance-enhancing drugs via USADA, psilocybin mushrooms aren’t currently banned. But wait—there’s more to this story. Breese’s substance use didn’t stop there.
In the interview, he revealed a long-standing struggle with drug use, which he blames for his lackluster performances over recent years. “I’ve had some ups and downs,” Breese shared. “I was always disciplined, then bad habits crept in—smoking, drugs, stuff like that.”
A promising start saw Breese undefeated in his first nine professional fights. He made waves in the UFC but was released in 2020 after pulling out of a fight with Antonio Arroyo at UFC Vegas 28. Post-UFC, he fought for Levels Fight League before signing with KSW for three bouts.
Most recently, Breese returned to Levels Fight League and secured a unanimous decision win over Renato Rangel in October. Now, with his PFL chapter seemingly closed and personal life on track, Breese has his sights set on KSW again.
“I’d like to come back to KSW,” he expressed eagerly. “I really enjoyed my time there, and there’s a lot of good fights for me.” He’s particularly keen on a rematch with Pawel Pawlak—an opportunity he’s itching to seize.