Featherweights
Andre Fili (21-9, 9-8 UFC) vs. Bill Algeo (16-6, 3-2 UFC)Fili and Algeo should add to their respective reputations for producing entertaining fights. Fili came to the UFC touted as the next big prospect out of Team Alpha Male, but he had a rocky start to his time inside the Octagon. “Touchy” was an inconsistent fighter, but he also had the bad luck of getting matched with Max Holloway, Yair Rodriguez and Calvin Kattar early in his UFC career. Experience has served Fili well, as he has turned into a rock-solid fighter who no longer gives up ground with huge lapses in judgment, even if he has a clear athletic ceiling. Fili’s improvement has also made his recent lack of success more frustrating, since he has not been rewarded for all his efforts. What was shaping up as a career-best performance against Daniel Pineda ended in a no contest due to an eye poke, and his return after a nearly yearlong layoff saw him quickly get sparked by Joanderson Brito in April. Fili should be able to show off his wares here, even if Algeo is perennially a tough out. There is an alternate universe where Algeo learned to use his long frame to keep opponents at bay, but “Senor Perfecto” is instead more than content to win a war of attrition, applying pressure and pace while relying on his impressive level of durability to outlast his opponents. Like Fili, Algeo can hit a clear athletic wall, but he is better served by having yet to be knocked out; as a stark example for this pairing, Algeo managed to weather an early storm for Brito and wear out the Brazilian for a one-sided decision win. In a messy fight, Fili should be able to hold his own and stay ahead. Algeo has not been much of a finishing threat, and outwrestling Fili has rarely been a path to much success in recent years. With Fili looking sharper than ever as a striker, Brito knockout aside, he should separate himself on the scorecards in terms of effective offense. The pick is Fili via decision.
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