Featherweights
Andre Fili (20-7) vs. Charles Jourdain (10-2)It has taken a while, but it has been a pleasure to see Fili finally round into form in recent years. Fili made his UFC debut in 2013 with a decent amount of hype as the next great Team Alpha Male product, but there just was not much consistency there. The “Touchy” one had his moments but was just as likely to dive directly into a spectacular finish from one of his opponents. However, things finally clicked with a breakout win in 2016 over Hacran Dias, and Fili has been able to keep opponents on their toes with a strong mix of range boxing and wrestling ever since. Fili looked good in his January loss to top prospect Sodiq Yusuff, but he looks to rebound here against Quebec’s Jourdain, who is coming off of a huge upset win over Doo Ho Choi in December. “Air” Jourdain is a bit of a maniac, always looking to press offense even when the situation does not call for it, but after a tough first round against Choi, he found a surprising amount of success by staying aggressive and throwing volume until he authored a finish. That could cause some difficulty for Fili, but the Californian looks to be past the point where he would lose his cool, and Jourdain simply does not have strong defense if Fili chooses to return fire. Plus, Fili’s wrestling game should cause Jourdain some problems. The pick is Fili via clear decision.
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