Andre Fili was forced to control his emotions following a split victory over Bill Algeo during a back and forth battle at UFC Vegas 60.
Showcasing his striking and grappling over three rounds, Fili nearly pulled off a late submission to prevent the judges from even getting involved but Algeo toughed it out until the final horn. Fili won a pair 29-28 rounds, while Algeo earned his own 29-28 score.
Fili was able to compete despite the tragedy that struck his family while training for this matchuip.
“I went through so much this camp,” Fili revealed. Fili said, “Anyone in this cage is 1 percent their story. I lost so much.
“I lost a baby, it would have been my first kid. This fight is my way of expressing gratitude to the people who would have had it. I love you so much.”
Fili wanted to be the centre of the Octagon while Algeo was content to set up his strikes. The featherweights were also trading some heavy kicks with Fili going up top to the head and Algeo digging his to the body.
Midway through the opening round, Algeo had a nasty cut opened near his hairline thanks to one of those kicks delivered by Fili. With blood trickling down his face, Algeo was forced to wipe his eyes as he looked to reset and change the momentum in the fight.
The jab became an effective tool for Algeo when he began to act as aggressor instead of fighting his backfoot. However, Fili still returned fire well. The difference appeared to be the impact that Fili was landing with his strikes as he continued headhunting Algeo, who was struggling to avoid many of the biggest punches coming at him.
Fili decided to keep Algeo guessing after securing a takedown that immediately led to submission attempts — first with an arm triangle and then transitioning into a rear-naked choke. Algeo looked exhausted for a while, but Fili kept trying to stop him from finishing the job.
Fili still managed to win the fight thanks to his dominance in grappling the third round. This was his first victory since 2020, which he had won with his dominant grappling style in the previous two rounds.
