Andre Fili is preparing to get back into the Octagon as he faces Michael Johnson in a featherweight division bout at UFC Fight Night Lincoln.
The featherweight contender believes his last win over Dennis Bermudez has put him on the path to become the best featherweight in the world.
“I was happy…I was happy with the win, but I wasn’t especially impressed with my performance. That’s something I’m looking to rectify in the next fight, I’m looking to really get in and make a statement and kind of prove a point…that I’m here to finish guys and have exciting fights, I’m here to climb up the ranks and get a number next to my name. I’m coming for that world title eventually because that’s got to be the goal, the world title is something that I see coming for me in the next year. I see myself as the world champion, I’m gonna knock Michael Johnson out. I’m gonna knock out a top five guy after him and then I’m gonna win the world title from whoever has it, people get fixated on that belt…its like all they care about is the belt. That’s cool and I understand it, but I want the belt too…more than that, I just want to be the man. I want people to know that I’m the baddest montherf*cker at 45, if that’s what the belt means…than I need the belt. If that means beating every single person in front of me here on out, whatever it takes…I’m the f*cking man. I need to let people know that I’m the best 45er in the world right now, that’s literally the only thing on my mind…with my performances and my goals and my everything. Its about being the best in the world,” says Fili in an exclusive interview with Fightful’s James Lynch.
Fili’s path to the top of the featherweight division is going to be a challenge for him, as the fighter isn’t ranked in the UFC Featherweight Division at this time.
This aforementioned path for Fili starts at UFC Fight Night Lincoln and Fili believes if there is a knockout, it would come early in the fight.
“Fightings crazy, if I had to say…I would say the knockout probably comes earlier rather than later…just because the way we both fight. I would say the knockout comes earlier rather than later, I don’t think there’s going to be a feeling out process in this fight. I don’t think there’s gonna be a whole hell of a lot of touch and go, I think its gonna be balls to the wall. I think its gonna be a pissing contest for fifteen minutes,” says Fili.
UFC Fight Night Lincoln takes place on Saturday, August 25 from the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska with Justin Gaethje and James Vick headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on Fox Sports 1.
