This is the UFC 172 live blog for Max Holloway vs. Andre Fili, a featherweight bout at Saturday night’s UFC event at the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Md.
Holloway, who has won three of his past five fights, will face Fili, who won his UFC debut via second-round TKO at UFC 166, on the main card.
Check out the UFC 172 live blog below.
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Round 1: Kevin Mulhall is the referee. They touch them up. Overhand right from Fili, and he gets clocked with a right hand on the return. Good looking counter from Holloway. Spinning kick slaps into the midsection of Fili. Uppercut attempt from Fili doesn’t connect, but low kick does. Fili working the legs early, cutting out that lead leg of Hollway. Nice lunging combo from Fili and that seemed to have stunned Holloway a little bit — his legs buckled a tiny bit, but he seemed okay. Holloway’s nose is red. Fili changing levels, throws combo to the body, then a capper up top which lands. Low kick by Holloway, but Fili shrugs it off. Again Fili changes levels and hits Holloway with a good combination, the worst of it on the feet. Now Holloway with good-looking overhand right which lands hard. And another. Starting to work his jab, too. No sooner do I write that than Fili charges in for a takedown, and lands it on fence, but Holloway right back up. Good pace to this fight. Fili catches Holloway leaning in with his right, kisses a right of his own on his chin. Kick to the body from Fili, and that prompts Holloway to throw a volley of his own. Fili scoops him up and pushes him to the fence, where he toils for a takedown. Can’t get it, and Holloway reverses there as Fili brings a knee up in the clinch. MMA Fighting scores R1 for Fili, 10-9.
Round 2: Holloway comes in with a combination, and he lands a couple of quick shots on the fence. Now he’s got Fili in the clinch. Big liver shot, and now he’s hitting him with knees on fence. They roll out of it, back to center. Fili was a little hurt from that liver shot — we’ll see how he responds. Holloway waits for Fili to commit, then comes over top with a blistering right hand. They are standing in center, and Holloway is holding. Fili still chipping away with the leg kicks, and once again lands a short strike that momentarily stuns Holloway. Both me throw uppercuts in succession, neither lands. They are mixing things up. Holloway with a thigh punch, and right after that Fili shoots for a double leg and dumps Holloway on his back. Fili in Holloway’s guard. The referee with a quick stand-up though, and we’re back to center. Leg kick from Fili. And again, he charges forward at Holloway’s legs and tries for takedown, but this time is thwarted. Round ends on fence. MMA Fighting scores R2 for Holloway, 10-9 (19-19 overall)
Round 3: Holloway and Fili both throw their arms up to get crowd into it for final round, and meet in the middle swinging. Right as Fili moves in for a takedown, Holloway blasts him with an uppercut, but it wasn’t flush. Again Fili, this time with the single-leg, pushes Holloway to fence. Nothing doing. Short elbow from Fili in an exchange, and as Holloway’s firing back, Fili tackles him down. Holloway able to stand back up, even as Fili flirts with a guillotine which wasn’t close. Holloway shoots in for a takedown of his own, but misses by a mile. They tie up n the middle. As they break Fili gets in a nice parting shot. Holloway momentarily able to work Fili down, clutching at his neck to set things up, but FIli bounces right back up. On fence, Big time exchange, and Holloway hurts him with two lefts and an uppercut! Fili goes for takedown and Holloway gets him in a guillotine, drops down and that’s it! There’s the tap. Holloway able to finish the fight in the third.
UFC 172 official results: Max Holloway def. Andre Fili via submission (guillotine choke) at 3:39 of R3