The stakes will be high for Todd Duffee’s first mixed martial arts appearance in more than three years.
The UFC veteran has signed with Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki and will challenge Philip De Fries for heavyweight gold at KSW 79 on Feb. 25. The Polish promotion announced the booking on Wednesday. KSW 79 takes place at the Home Credit Arena in Liberec, Czech Republic, marking the organization’s first foray into the country. Duffee and De Fries squared off at UFC 155, with the American winning via first-round technical knockout.
Duffee hasn’t competed since UFC Fight Night 158 in September 2019, when an accidental eye poke resulted in his bout against Jeff Hughes being declared a no contest. Duffee went 3-2 during his tenure with the UFC, notably scoring a seven-second KO of Tim Hague that still ranks as the third-fastest knockout in promotion history at heavyweight. The 37-year-old has endured multiple layoffs over the course of his career due to injuries and other issues.
De Fries’ fortunes have changed significantly since that first meeting with Duffee. The 36-year-old Englishman is in the midst of a 10-bout winning streak that began in 2017 and includes eight successful title defenses under the KSW banner. He last appeared at KSW 74, where he submitted Ricardo Prasel in the opening stanza of the evening’s main event.
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