Preview: UFC on ESPN 35 ‘Font vs. Vera’

Featherweights

NR | Andre Fili (21-8, 9-7 UFC) vs. Joanderson Brito (12-3-1, 0-1 UFC)

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BETUS ODDS: Fili (-230), Brito (+180)

It is good to see Fili back in action, as his combination of strengths and weaknesses almost always makes for an entertaining fight. Fili came to the UFC in 2014 with some steam as the next big Team Alpha Male prospect, but his tenure got off to a rough start. Beyond Fili’s own inconsistency, he had the misfortune of being matched with Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez in his first handful of UFC fights. Given Fili’s spotty focus throughout his fights early in his career, it is unsurprising that he alternated wins and losses for a few years, but he has turned into a rock-solid fighter with more experience, now more capable of holding his own without giving up ground through huge lapses in judgment. For all his success in recent years, Fili still seems to be walking a tightrope. Never the best athlete, Fili’s approach rides a constant balance between offensive potency and leaving himself open to get cracked hard in return. Fili looked to be in the process of a career-best performance while he poured a beating on Daniel Pineda in June, but an inadvertent eye poke ended the bout in a no contest. After nearly a year on the shelf, he will look to get back in the win column against Brito. Brazil’s Brito is an entertaining fighter, as “Tubarao” mostly finds his success through reckless aggression, looking to knock his opponent out cold before pivoting to grappling and submissions. That has resulted in plenty of early finishes as Brito worked his way up the ranks, but his UFC debut against Bill Algeo did raise the worry that he can run out of ideas. Algeo eventually took over the fight, and Brito looked to be the much more tired fighter by the end of 15 minutes. Brito is athletic and potent enough that he figures to hit Fili hard and take an early advantage, but the veteran has earned the benefit of the doubt at this point as it relates to his ability to survive on the mat and take things over for the win, particularly with some of the more powerful striking he has shown in some recent outings. The pick is Fili via third-round stoppage.

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