Andre Fili has publicly voiced his frustration after a second-round stoppage loss to Vinicius Oliveira at UFC Vegas 119, pointing to strikes to the back of his head as a key factor in the finish.
Fili and Oliveira battled in a competitive bout, with Fili finding success early behind counter punches and body kicks in the first round. In the second, Oliveira ramped up his body attacks and secured the stoppage in the final 10 seconds of the frame.
Strikes to the back of Fili’s head appeared to play a role in the sequence, including a downward elbow and follow-up elbows. Sharing his view on social media, Fili wrote, "Just gonna leave this here," before adding, "Very clearly back of the head. This is the shot that dropped me. Not a clean shot, not a body punch. If this shot doesn’t happen — or is addressed by the referee — the fight goes to a third round. That’s my frustration, I wanted and deserved the chance to keep fighting."
Fili has not yet formally appealed the result. The controversy comes during the second consecutive week in which illegal shots to the back of the head were suggested to have influenced a stoppage in MMA. Fili also received an additional $100,000 related to this bout.
