Andre Fili’s got a tattoo… of Urijah Faber’s face

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The wild world of MMA fighter tattoos has got itself a new focal point.

What’s the old saying, never get a tattoo of someone else’s name? The relationship you hold dear and cherish today, may not be the one you have tomorrow. Still, it’s a advice that countless people have ignored over the years, often at their own peril. And it’s an honorific that Andre Fili is looking to one-up with his latest piece of body art.

The Team Alpha Male featherweight standout and longtime UFC fighter recently unveiled his latest tattoo, a portrait of team founder and former WEC champion Urijah Faber.

“Portrait of big bro @urijahfaber,” Fili wrote alongside a video posted to Instagram, “done by the homie @stevebutchertattoos. This is not only for him but all the other @teamalphamalemma family that helped raise and guide me on this journey. #brotherskeeper”

The tattoo will join what appears to be portraits of famed clown Emmett Kelly, on his left forearm, and (I think) Daniel Day Lewis’ ‘Bill the Butcher’ character on his left calf—along with a host of other work.

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Fili was last seen in the cage, defeating Sheymon Moraes via KO, back July. That fight marked his second straight victory, following a somewhat controversial defeat to Michael Johnson in 2018. His next bout in the Octagon has not yet been announced.

Urijah Faber recently returned to action after two-and-a-half years of retirement, to beat rising young prospect Ricky Simon on the same Sacramento card where Fili beat Moraes. Faber is now set to face top contender Petr Yan at UFC 245, on December 14th, in Las Vegas Nevada. But, part of him will still be outside the cage, on Fili’s ankle.