The way [autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag] chooses to look at things, he should be going after a seven-fight winning streak – not trying to just get back in the win column.
After a solid run of four wins in five fights, including a bonus-winning knockout of Sheymon Moraes 11 months ago, Fili was outworked by Sodiq Yusuff in January at UFC 246. The lone loss in his five-fight run before that came to Michael Johnson in a split call and included wins over Myles Jury and Dennis Bermudez.
Getting back into the win column is of the utmost importance to get some momentum back on paper, but Fili thinks he won the Yusuff fight, as well as the Johnson bout. But he doesn’t think he needs to change anything after his loss to Yusuff.
“I think you just do more of the same,” Fili said during a Thursday virtual media day ahead of UFC on ESPN 10. “I think I’m on the right track – there’s just been a few hiccups. I think I won the Sodiq fight. I definitely think I won the Michael Johnson fight. You take those two decisions and turn them the right way, and I’m on a six-fight streak. That’s what I choose to focus on.”
Fili (20-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) takes on Charles Jourdain (10-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in a featherweight bout at UFC on ESPN 10 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Their main-card fight airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
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In Jourdain, Fili has an opponent who got back on the upswing this past December with a second-round knockout of Doo Ho Choi at UFC on ESPN+ 23. Jourdain was a 3-1 underdog in the fight and got back in the win column after a loss to Des Green earlier in the year in his promotional debut.
Fili knows Jourdain has knockout power, the same as he showed against Moraes when he became the first fighter to knock the Brazilian out.
“He’s aggressive,” Fili said. “He’s got flying knees – you’ve got to watch out for that. He’s pretty athletic, and every shot he throws, you can tell he believes in hi striking. I’m excited to put that to the test.”
This time around for Fili, it’ll be about trying to enjoy the experience a little more and keeping some of the stress on the back burner.
“I really think I was pretty sharp against Sodiq, but Sodiq’s a great fighter,” Fili said. “I’m going to go out this time and really have more fun and just get in a fight. You’ve got to find a balance, and also get in a fist fight. I’m going to go out and have fun and just impose my will.”
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