Main card action at Saturday’s UFC Vegas 114 at the Meta Apex saw featherweights Andre Fili and Jose Delgado clash.
“Touchy” Fili had been treating wins and losses since 2022, and was looking to buck that trend with a second consecutive victory. Delgado had seen a two-fight win streak of his own snapped by Nathaniel Wood in his last outing.
The two featherweights got the action underway by meeting in the center of the octagon, using feints to get a read on each other. Delgado landed a nice body kick to open, but Fili quickly rang the bell of the advancing Delgado, forcing him to back off the center.
Delgado stayed on the pressure shortly after, throwing a looping overhand past the head of Fili, but the veteran answered with a clean straight right that dropped Delgado early in the round.
Quickly back to his feet, Delgado attempted a desperate takedown, though it was effortlessly shrugged off by Andre Fili.
With confidence now oozing from the 35-year-old veteran, Fili continued to put it on Jose Delgado in the striking, landing with purpose. Delgado was able to pile up some volume as the final seconds of the first round ticked away, but it was largely a round dominated by Andre Fili.
In round two, Fili opened confidently again, walking down Delgado and landing a few straight shots clean to the midsection. Though, tides began to shift as it was Delgado who really started flowing around the three-minute mark of the second, landing a mix of four consecutive kicks to the body and head of Fili.
Delgado was now in the driver’s seat against a laboring Fili, exploding into a flying knee that hurt Andre Fili and led to a flurry of strikes from Delgado. Continuing to pour it on, Delgado opened up his striking, landing a variety of teep kicks before finding a takedown of his own.
That success was short-lived, as Fili quickly returned to his feet and landed a takedown of his own as round two came to an end.
Likely 19-19 after two, it came down to the third and final round between Andre Fili and Jose Delgado. The younger Delgado kept up his movement, circling Fili on the outside of the octagon and touching the legs and midsection of Fili with kicks.
Fili was ready to trade in the center as well, eating a high kick from Jose Delgado while continuing to pressure forward in search of the knockout punch. As the two exchanged, Delgado seemed a step ahead as the round moved into deeper waters, with the veteran Andre Fili slowly breaking down from the accumulation of strikes.
In a last-ditch effort during the waning seconds of the fight, Andre Fili landed a well-timed takedown and followed with significant ground strikes, ending the round on top of Jose Delgado, making a considerable case for victory.
A difficult fight to score, the judges could not come to a unanimous decision, but it was Jose Delgado who was awarded the split-decision victory, moving him back into the win column.
Official Result: Jose Delgado def. Andre Fili by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
