5 Defining Moments: Andre Fili

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.