Fili and Algeo should add to their respective reputations for
producing entertaining fights. Fili came to the UFC touted as the
next big prospect out of Team Alpha Male, but he had a rocky start
to his time inside the Octagon. “Touchy” was an inconsistent
fighter, but he also had the bad luck of getting matched with
Max
Holloway, Yair
Rodriguez and Calvin
Kattar early in his UFC career. Experience has served Fili
well, as he has turned into a rock-solid fighter who no longer
gives up ground with huge lapses in judgment, even if he has a
clear athletic ceiling. Fili’s improvement has also made his recent
lack of success more frustrating, since he has not been rewarded
for all his efforts. What was shaping up as a career-best
performance against Daniel
Pineda ended in a no contest due to an eye poke, and his return
after a nearly yearlong layoff saw him quickly get sparked by
Joanderson
Brito in April. Fili should be able to show off his wares here,
even if Algeo is perennially a tough out. There is an alternate
universe where Algeo learned to use his long frame to keep
opponents at bay, but “Senor Perfecto” is instead more than content
to win a war of attrition, applying pressure and pace while relying
on his impressive level of durability to outlast his opponents.
Like Fili, Algeo can hit a clear athletic wall, but he is better
served by having yet to be knocked out; as a stark example for this
pairing, Algeo managed to weather an early storm for Brito and wear
out the Brazilian for a one-sided decision win. In a messy fight,
Fili should be able to hold his own and stay ahead. Algeo has not
been much of a finishing threat, and outwrestling Fili has rarely
been a path to much success in recent years. With Fili looking
sharper than ever as a striker, Brito knockout aside, he should
separate himself on the scorecards in terms of effective offense.
The pick is Fili via decision.
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