Getting your first finish in nearly four years is exciting enough, but doing it for the hometown fans is as sweet as it gets, and nobody could really blame Andre Fili for wanting to celebrate with the crowd as soon as he finished Sheymon Moraes.
The two exchanged shots early and often, but a slick right hand followed by a head kick rocked Moraes for good. Ultimately, a counter right hand put Moraes to the ground, and almost as soon as the referee stepped in, Fili was headed toward the crowd.
As if Fili needed a sweeter reason to enjoy his performance, he also did so in front of his father, whom Fili hadn’t seen in 17 years.
“I love this s***,” Fili said. “Since I was a 13-, 14-year-old kid, all I wanted was to be in the UFC. I wanted to fight next to Faber. I wanted to fight at home in Sacramento. I just checked like eight things off my bucket list, and it’s a great feeling.”