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It's finally time for the UFC Vegas 86 Co-Main Event and we're set to bring you our betting prediction and pick for this Featherweight (145) bout you can't miss. No. 13-ranked Dan Ige will take on Team Alpha Male's Andre “Touchy” Fili as both men fight for a possible top-15 ranking on the line. Check out our UFC odds series for our Ige-Fili prediction and pick.
Dan Ige (17-7) has gone 9-6 inside of the UFC octagon since 2018 and he's an original product of Dana White's Contender Series. After suffering a tough three-fight losing streak, Ige bounced back with consecutive wins over Damon Jackson and Nate Landwehr. In his last fight, he fell to the higher-ranked Bryce Mitchell in a decision-loss and will be looking to get back in the win column here. Ige stands 5'7″ with a 71-inch reach.
Andre Fili (23-10) has gone 11-9-0-1 during his UFC career since 2013. Since his ‘No Contest' against Daniel Pineda back in 2021, Fili has alternated wins and losses going 2-2 during that time. He looked to be in his prime during his last fight as he got the job done with a TKO finish in the first round. He's hoping he can capitalize on his momentum and earn a ranking here. Fili stands 5'11” with a 74-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC Vegas 86 Odds: Dan Ige-Andre Fili Odds
Dan Ige: -170
Andre Fili: +145
Over 2.5 rounds: -205
Under 2.5 rounds: +165
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Why Dan Ige Will Win
Dan Ige is coming into this fight following a tough loss against Bryce Mitchell. While he was able to hang in the striking department, he was no match for Mitchell's wrestling and control time on the ground. Prior to that, he looked to be at the top of his game with two straight victories over dangerous opponents in Jackson and Landwehr. He'll be getting a much different look this time around having to face a long and rangy striker like Fili. Dan Ige does a great job of slipping punches and using his head movement through the boxing exchanges. We've seen him struggle against a taller boxer like Calvin Kattar, so he'll have to keep circling and weaving through the shots of Fili to find some clean counters.
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While Dan Ige has a black belt in jiu-jitsu and a brown belt in judo, it's not often that he's searching for his own takedowns and initiating sequences on the ground. Still, having that in his back pocket is great as he's never been submitted in his career. Fili isn't much of a grappler himself, so it wouldn't be surprising if both men chose to keep this fight standing. Ige has the better striking defense at 57% and he certainly absorbs less than Fili – look for him to stay in constant movement as he tries to tire Fili out and pour it on by the third round.
Why Andre Fili Will Win
Andre Fili has been rather up-and-down for most of his UFC tenure and he hasn't been able to string together the consecutive victories to mount a serious title run. However, after losing a bad unanimous decision to Nathaniel Wood, Fili bounced back in a big way and looked tremendous in his knockout over Lucas Almeida. It was arguably the sharpest he's ever looked with his striking and he was basically perfect against an equally dangerous opponent. In that fight, Fili had a similar height and reach advantage and he used it accordingly. If he can put together another crisp striking display like he did his last time out, he could be one of the best live dogs on the betting card.
Andre Fili often makes the smallest errors and it ends up costing him if he gets taken down for a round and knocked down off his feet. Still, he's extremely tough and will take a beating while still walking forward the entire fight. His recklessness has gotten him hurt in the past, but we've seen a much more calm and measured approach over his last few fights. He's also had his woes against primary wrestlers, but he'll be given a true chance to let his striking shine against a brawler like Dan Ige.
Final Dan Ige-Andre Fili Prediction & Pick
This could be the most exciting fight on the card given the energy both fighters bring to the octagon. Dan Ige stays cool, calm, and collected during all of his fights and he's been on fire with his boxing over the last few fights. Andre Fili is almost dialed-in with his striking and will look to use his striking at range to score another knockout win. This is a big fight for both guys as they make a push for their title aspirations.
Dan Ige is slightly better all-around and has been the better model of consistency, but Andre Fili's last performance really showed he's reached a new level with his striking. He seems to be a master of gauging distance and if this fight takes place primarily on the feet, we like the activity of Fili to get the job done. Let's ride with the underdog in this one.
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Final Dan Ige-Andre Fili Prediction & Pick: Andre Fili (+145)
