Athletes
Kyler Phillips Is Working Toward Greatness
Bantamweight Kyler Phillips Hopes To Make Another Step Toward His Ultimate Goal At UFC 299: O'Malley vs Vera 2
For more than half his life, Kyler Phillips has had one goal, and as he approaches his Saturday bout on the UFC 299 card in Miami, he believes that his opponent, Pedro Munhoz, and anyone else in his way won’t have anything to say about it.
“When I was 12 years old, I wrote on a piece of paper to my dad that said, ‘UFC world champion’ on there; and that was my goal,” said Phillips. “And I'm still chasing that same goal and nothing's going to take me away from that, especially when I'm dialed in, focused and in the mindset I'm in. I'm doing whatever it takes. And this fight is just another guy along the way that I have to put out of the way because of my path, and work towards greatness.”
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There is not a hint of cockiness in Phillips’ voice when he says this. He’s calm in the final days of training camp for the biggest fight of his career, doing an interview as he preps some food and relaxes on his patio in Arizona. To most, that would be shocking. To Phillips, it’s not because this isn’t his day job; it’s his life. And this martial arts lifestyle has been part of his existence for as long as he can remember.
“It was a good thing that I was blessed with my father,” said Phillips. “He put me in jiu jitsu at three years old at the Gracie Academy and then we moved over to Temecula and there weren't as many gyms and stuff, but he was always putting me in different challenges and taking me to random different gyms. So it was kind of like MMA on a smaller scale and I got to experience all of these different styles of arts growing up, and I just loved it. I loved hanging around my dad, we were best friends, and we would just do so many things together.”
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It’s the kind of relationship most would envy, and Phillips’ dad wasn’t just spending time with his kid; he was preparing him for those times when he wasn’t around to protect him. So when Kyler was a third grader getting bullied by an eighth grader, there was a simple plan if things got physical.
“I was crying, I went to my dad, and I was like, ‘What do I do?’” recalled Phillips. “He said, ‘Just take him down. Ankle pick him, hit him, and when you get his back, choke him out.’”
The third grader nodded, and the next time the older and bigger bully got in his face, he followed his dad’s instructions.
“I ankle picked him, I go straight to mount, I start hitting him on one side, he gives his back and I sunk in the rear naked choke,” said Phillips. “I'm crying at this point, so I'm squeezing, squeezing, and all of a sudden, I just hear him snoring. I got to do that to a bully, and it was a cool feeling. It felt like overcoming a part of life. And ever since then, competition and challenges have been opportunities for me.”
I wonder out loud if any pro win felt as good as beating up that bully. He laughs.
“Of course. It was so long ago, it's a completely different feeling, honestly.”
I don’t know, that might feel better than winning a belt, but that’s just me. Phillips, 28, has moved on, he’s won five of his six UFC bouts, including two in a row over Marcelo Rojo and Raoni Barcelos, and if he beats a perennial contender like Munhoz, that’s a big deal, and it proves that his father was right all along. So don’t go looking for the biggest Kyler Phillips fan because we’ve found him.
“He's super proud and he's just really happy,” said Phillips of his father. “Of course, it was a part of his dream, but it was always my dream. My dad wanted something for me, but he never forced me to be somewhere or never forced me to win. He didn't ever put pressure on me, but just put me in the situations and challenges, and I had to make that decision. Same thing with my little brothers. We were constantly challenged. Every time we'd go anywhere, we had the mats in the garage. My dad was teaching jiu jitsu out of the garage and we would have people come over all the time - kids that were boxers, kids that were wrestling guys, and we would have challenges and stuff.”
UFC 299 COUNTDOWN: Full Episode | O'Malley vs Vera | Poirier vs Saint Denis | Holland vs Page
Maybe that’s the secret that Phillips has and that all fighters could use – the idea that if you truly love this, pressure isn’t an issue. It isn’t a fight in a packed Kaseya Center with the world watching, but a competition in the garage with your best friend encouraging – but not pressuring – you.
“The greatest players and the greatest athletes and the champions, their mindset – and mine - is whether there's a million people watching or zero or one, when you're in the cage with somebody, it's just you,” said Phillips. “You’re doing your thing and you're enjoying it. You're looking past the lights, you're looking past everybody, and the energy's good. I don't even know how to explain it. It's the matrix.”
UFC 299: O'Malley vs Vera 2 took place live from Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida on March 9, 2024. See the final Prelims & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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