Philip de Fries to Defend Heavyweight Belt Against Ricardo Prasel at KSW 74

Philip De Fries will attempt to extend his reign as heavyweight champion when he defends his crown against Ricardo Prasel at KSW 74.

De Fries confirmed the booking following an initial report from MMAjunkie.com. KSW 74 takes place on Sept. 10.

After a bumpy stretch in the UFC earlier in his career, de Fries has emerged as one of the most successful heavyweights in the sport. The 36-year-old England native has won nine consecutive fights and has authored six successful heavyweight title defenses since capturing the KSW heavyweight strap in 2018. Most recently, he defeated fellow UFC vet Darko Stosic via fifth-round TKO at KSW 67 on Feb. 26.

Prasel enters the matchup with de Fries riding the momentum of consecutive finishes of Daniel Omielanczuk and Michal Kita under the KSW banner. The 31-year-old Germany-based Brazilian also appeared on Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series, where he fell to Don'Tale Mayes via first-round TKO.