Vinicius Oliveira made a statement in his featherweight debut, stopping Andre Fili by second-round knockout at UFC Vegas 119 on Saturday.
The bout was waved off by referee Herb Dean at 4:56 of Round 2 after Oliveira unleashed a series of elbows that appeared to land on the back of Fili’s head. Ringside physicians treated a cut on the back of Fili’s head following the stoppage.
After the fight, Oliveira said, “I’m feeling better,” and added, “I never get to fight like that. All my fights in the UFC, I felt tired, and weak … now I can show the world how good I am.”
This marked Oliveira’s first UFC appearance at 145 pounds after previously competing in the bantamweight division. Dean’s stoppage came as he has recently faced criticism for a non-call on alleged illegal shots in the Ciryl Gane vs. Alex Pereira fight at the UFC White House card.
