MMA: Phil De Fries produces superb display to land KSW43 heavyweight title in Poland

Phil De Fries celebrates his first-round win in Poland.

Sunderland MMA fighter Phil De Fries is celebrating after beating Poland's Michal Andryszak to claim the vacant KSW43 heavyweight title, in Wroclaw, Poland.

De Fries, a drugs advice worker for the NHS, defeated the Pole via a technical knock-out (ground and pound) in the first round.

Andryszak started like a freight train at full tilt and looked to take control of the fight, landing a number of blows which De Fries absorbed.

The referee steps in to call a halt as Phil De Fries starts to celebrate his win

However, De Fries used his experience to his advantage and weathered the early storm. The Wearsider then used a grappling move to get into a top position and rained down elbows and punches as Andryszak could not find a way out of the hold.

De Fries sensed the victory and landed blow after blow until the referee stopped the contest after 3 minutes and 38 seconds of the first round.

Speaking after the victory, an ecstatic De Fries said: “It feels great to bring back Europe’s largest MMA Promotions belt back to Sunderland.

“I plan on keeping this belt for a long time.”