MENU
Denis Bermudez takes on Andre Fili in a featherweight showcase at UFC on Fox 27 on January 27th, 2018 at the Spectrum in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Similarities and Differences
Both Bermudez and Fili have split their last eight bouts but if there’s a difference between the two it’s that Bermudez is coming off a loss to Darren Elkins last July while Fili is coming off a big win over Artem Lobov last October.
Bermudez and Fili also have 17 career wins each but Bermudez has 7 losses compared to Fili’s 5. However, Bermudez has fought much better competition than Fili as he has been in the UFC since 2012. Fili lost the two biggest bouts of his career, a submission loss to Max Holloway and a KO loss to Yair Rodriguez. He will be looking for his first win against a big name fighter in Bermudez.
Similar Skill Sets
Like the event’s headliner bout, this is also a pick’em contest with Bermudez being slightly favored over Fili at -150 against +130. Both fighters are tough to read, really and this one’s a difficult fight to pick as Bermudez and Fili have similar skill sets.
Bermudez is the proven veteran but he’s lost his last two fights and can suddenly become tentative with his offense without clear reason. Fili meanwhile has the tools to be a better fighter but has not produced back to back wins in the last five years. Between two inconsistent fighters, it may be prudent to pick the one with the size advantage and that’s Fili who owns a five inch height and an eight inch reach edge over Bermudez.
Forcing Bermudez To Back Pedal
Aside from his size and length, Fili also possesses more punching power with a 47% KO ratio as compared to Bermudez’s 24% knockout rate. Likewise, Fili’s aggressive style could affect Bermudez and force him to fight going backwards, which has never been easy for him in past fights.
Don’t count out Dennis Bermudez but we’re picking Andre Fili here to win by decision. Bermudez is going to have a hard time with a bigger opponent who moves forward most of the time. He’s going to be on the defensive in this fight. Sure Fili hasn’t won two in a row in five years but the law of averages should catch up with that here. Andre Fili by unanimous decision.
