LAS VEGAS – Andre Fili is fully aware his UFC tenure has consisted of ups and downs. But he’s seemingly found his groove and feels ready to break out at UFC 246.
Fili (20-6 MMA, 8-5 UFC), who has won four of his past five bouts, will face one of the top featherweight prospects in the game Saturday, when he meets Sodiq Yusuff (10-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in an anticipated matchup of all-action fighters.
Although Fili is currently positioned as the betting underdog, he said he’s ready to force a change in perception. He not only wants to prove he’s better than Yusuff, but also superior to anyone who weighs in at 145 pounds.
“I didn’t know a lot about him, but I knew enough about him to know that I wanted the fight,” Fili told MMA Junkie. “There really isn’t anybody at ’45 that I won’t fight, that I won’t beat. I’m the best ’45er in the world right now. I really believe that. I’m excited to prove it.”
UFC 246 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
In order to prove himself as the top dog in his weight class, Fili said he knows he has to be prepared to take on all comers. He’s never been one to back down from a fight, and that’s why he’s embracing the clash with Yusuff.
“Anytime they tell you you’re going to fight somebody I’m excited,” Fili said. “You get that feeling in the pit of your stomach like, ‘I’ll fight him right now. If you’re a fighter you get that feeling when they ask you if you want to fight somebody. You get excited. For me it’s almost always an instant, ‘Yes.'”
To hear more from Fili, watch the video linked above.
