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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Matt Erickson and Ken Hathaway

Kyler Phillips loving his reinvention on climb toward bantamweight contention after UFC 299

MIAMI – Kyler Phillips beat Pedro Munhoz with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 299 at Kaseya Center in Miami.

Take a look inside the fight with Phillips, who has won seven of his past eight fights.

Kyler Phillips def. Pedro Munhoz

Mar 9, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Kyler Phillips talks to his trainers after his fight against Pedro Munhoz during UFC 299 at Kayesa Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Result: Kyler Phillips def. Pedro Munhoz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Updated records: Phillips (12-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC), Munhoz (20-9 MMA, 10-9 UFC)
Key stats: Phillips more than doubled up on Munhoz in total strikes at 115-52.

Phillips on the fight's key moment

Mar 9, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Kyler Phillips (blue gloves) fights Pedro Munhoz (red gloves) during UFC 299 at Kayesa Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

“I definitely knew I hurt him in that fight with the knee, a couple right hands. There was a couple kicks to the body … back kick. There was a lot of things that landed. … He tried to slow me down all of his offensive things. In the first round, he got that takedown or some scramble and then I saw him going for that neck and I was like, Oh, here it is. So that, and then every kick that came, I checked it and just tagged him up. He’s got it. He had a good jab. It was an honor to fight with him.”

Phillips on if he'd fight champ teammate Sean O'Malley

Mar 9, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Sean O’Malley walks out of the ring after defeating Marlon Vera during UFC 299 at Kayesa Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

“That’s my brother. Honestly, there are so many people here at the (MMA) Lab. I met Sean when I was 18 years old. Sean, Mario Bautista, Marcus McGee – there’s so many dudes coming up. We fight and train each other every day. We’re making money and stuff … Of course, (we’d fight each other).”

Phillips on what he wants next

Mar 9, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Kyler Phillips (blue gloves) fights Pedro Munhoz (red gloves) during UFC 299 at Kayesa Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

“I’m down to fight whoever – whoever they give me. (I want) good matchups and stuff, but it’s about me vs. me every day. You guys have seen tonight a new level of me and I’m going to keep just getting better, and that version of me that fights against whoever in this whole planet, I’m going to beat them. I’m going to win that. That’s the next version of myself as UFC champion.”

To hear more from Phillips, check out the video above.

UFC 299 Images

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

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