Andre
Fili has led a two-steps-forward-one-step-back kind of
existence since he joined the
Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight roster nearly nine
years ago.
The
Team Alpha Male rep will take on former
Ring of
Combat champion
Bill Algeo as
part of the
UFC Fight Night 210 main draw on Saturday at the UFC Apex in
Las Vegas. Fili, 32, steps into the Octagon with just one win in
his past four outings. He last competed at UFC on ESPN 35, where he
bowed to punches from
Joanderson
Brito just 41 seconds into their April 30 confrontation. The
setback dropped the Federal Way, Washington, native’s UFC record to
9-8.
Ahead of Fili’s forthcoming scrap with Algeo at 145 pounds, a look
at five of the many moments that have come to define him:
1. A Sense of Belonging
Fili made a successful Octagon debut under less-than-ideal
circumstances when he dispatched
Jeremy
Larsen with second-round punches as part of the UFC 166
undercard on Oct. 19, 2013 at the Toyota Center in Houston.
Outgunned on the feet, Larsen succumbed to blows 53 seconds into
Round 2. Fili—who filled in for an injured
Charles
Oliveira on short notice—opened a cut near the
Arizona Combat Sports product’s left eye in the first round and
upped his aggression in the second. There, he staggered Larsen with
a thudding right hook to the temple. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season
15 alum took a knee at the base of the fence, forcing referee Jacob
Montalvo to intervene on his behalf.
2. Max Effort
Max
Holloway submitted Fili with a guillotine choke in the third
round of their UFC 172 featherweight showcase on April 26, 2014 at
the Baltimore Arena. The dynamic Hawaiian brought it to a close
3:39 into Round 1. Fili mixed his punches and kicks with well-timed
takedowns. Holloway started to turn the corner in the second round,
where he cracked the Californian with a searing spinning back kick
to the body and some damaging knees from the clinch. Fili struck
for a takedown in the third round but failed to maintain top
position. Holloway returned to his feet, stunned his adversary with
a pair of standing elbows, followed with a multi-punch burst and
then snatched the guillotine when the reeling Fili left his neck
exposed.
3. Switch Flipped
“The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” winner
Yair
Rodriguez knocked out Fili with a flying switch kick in the
second round of their featured UFC 197 attraction on April 23, 2016
at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The end came 2:15 into
Round 2, and it was sensational. The rapidly improving Rodriguez
controlled the first five minutes, as he executed a takedown,
passed guard and scored from the top. What came next was utterly
spectacular. Rodriguez backed the Team Alpha Male mainstay toward
the fence, took flight and blasted him with a switch kick upstairs.
Shin met face, as Fili fell backward and hit the canvas
unconscious, the unwitting victim of a “Knockout of the Year”
contender.
4. Higher Learning
Fili leaned on a stout jab and surprising takedowns to escape with
a contentious split decision over
Dennis
Bermudez in their UFC on Fox 27 co-main event on Jan. 27, 2018
at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Judges Pedro
Claudio and Derek Cleary scored it 29-28 for Fili, while Steve
Elliott saw it 30-27 for Bermudez. Fili hid his intentions with
stance switches, countered effectively in spurts and delivered
multiple takedowns in the first and second rounds. Even so,
Bermudez landed the cleaner, more damaging strikes. “The Ultimate
Fighter 14” finalist chopped away at Fili’s lower leg with kicks,
doubled and tripled up on his jab and scored well in the clinch.
Bermudez fought with a sense of urgency down the stretch,
continuing to assault the Californian’s lower extremities while
pairing powerful right hooks with his jab. He deposited Fili on the
mat with a takedown of his own in the waning moments, but it was
not enough to sway the judges.
5. Bryce for Impact
Repeated takedowns, top control and positional advances carried
“The Ultimate Fighter 27” semifinalist
Bryce
Mitchell to a unanimous decision over Fili in the UFC Fight
Night 181 co-headliner on Oct. 31, 2020 at the UFC Apex in Las
Vegas. Scores were 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27. Fili made the Arkansas
native work for every inch of ground he gained, only to once again
fall short in a high-leverage situation. Mitchell executed
takedowns in all three rounds, achieved full mount on multiple
occasions and threatened with a few submissions, all while
incorporating rough-around-the-edges but effective standup. Fili
was at his best in Round 2, where he connected with a flying knee,
utilized an effective jab and had more success staying off of his
back. However, he could not hold off Mitchell forever. The
Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt struck for multiple takedowns in the
third round and took the final steps toward what was at the time
his most significant victory to date.