Poland’s premier MMA promotion brings another serving of violence, with KSW 57 going down December 19. For their last show of 2020, a clash of the titans will take place. At the top of the main card, heavyweights vie for gold as KSW heavyweight champion Phil De Fries takes on Michał Kita.
A growing force in Europe, KSW has always had a good stable of international talent, and the main event this Saturday will be no different. Looking to ascend to an untouchable status within KSW, heavyweight champ De Fries will battle for his fourth title defense. Considering the pressure of making promotional history for the defending champion, let’s take a closer look at the heavyweight headliner.
3⃣ titles on the line🏆🏆🏆
4⃣ days away🔜@KSW_MMA puts all the chips on the table with their greatest champions on display at #KSW57@phildefriesmma vs Kita
Ziółkowski vs Szymański@AntunRacic vs Santos
+ more[ Dec. 19 | 2pm ET | Live on #FITE ]
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— FITE (@FiteTV) December 15, 2020
KSW 57: Main Event Breakdown – De Fries vs. Kita
Poland’s Michal Kita (20-11-1) has expanded his wrestling base and is finding success on the feet similar to earlier in his career. Although his age remains a questionable factor — Kita is now 40 — his recent performances are hard to deny. Specifically, at KSW 54, he stopped Michał Andryszak with strikes in the first round. Prior to that, the heavyweight picked up a lightning-quick knockout over Igor Pokrajac in 37 seconds. With the amount of experience Kita has, the champion certainly has a tall order ahead of him. Although one hurdle that may stifle the forward momentum of the challenger is the discrepancy in reach advantage.
While admittedly suffering from some mental roadblocks earlier in his career, De Fries (18-6) has rebounded in a big way. Riding a six-fight win streak, the champ is on the best run of his career. In addition, the United Kingdom’s De Fries enters the bout with a five-inch reach advantage and is the physically bigger man. Along with the fact that he is over five years younger than Kita, it would serve De Fries well to push the pace of the fight and test the challenger’s cardio. Similar to Kita, De Fries is a versatile finisher too. He’s ended bouts with strikes, keylock submissions, and various chokes. The champion has a diverse toolbox to pull from come KSW 57 fight night, and told us ahead of the fight that he’s got a point to prove, and will be looking to end this one within five rounds.
KSW 57 takes place Saturday, December 19 in Lodz, Poland. The live stream of the event can be found over at KSW TV.
