Quick Return Only Helps Phil Hawes in Quest for WSOF Title

In making his World Series of Fighting debut in June against Joshua Key, middleweight prospect Phil Hawes might not have gone as long as he would have liked, but a first round TKO is never a bad thing.

“I think I performed pretty well, to the best of my abilities,” Hawes told MMAWeekly.com. “The fight ended pretty short, so I couldn’t really display all the tools that I possess, but I think I did well.

“I was happy just to get that tough loss (at The Ultimate Fighter 23) out of my head. That was a big deal for me.”

After being unable to secure a spot in the house for TUF 23, getting an opportunity to fight for a major promotion like WSOF is a big thing for Hawes.

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“It does a lot,” he said. “I appreciate WSOF for giving me an opportunity to showcase my skills in their cage. I plan to keep it going and keep getting better.”

Having just fought in June, Hawes (4-0) jumps back into things right away with a July 30 bout at WSOF 32 in Everett, Wash., where he’ll take on Luis Taylor (12-3) in a main card 185-pound bout.

“The only thing that changes (in the short span between fights) is my diet,” said Hawes. “This is what I do. I like to fight and a quick turnaround is to my advantage.

“I think I just have to be me and just have to do what I set out to do. (Taylor) won’t last past the second round.”

Now that Hawes is on the national stage, he only has one goal in mind: winning a WSOF title.

“My eyes are still on the prize, and that’s to always be the best, be a world champion,” he said. “I don’t know if that’ll be necessary by the end of the year, but we’ll keep making strides and keep pushing towards that belt.”

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