Alex Pereira said he is afraid to return to the octagon after seeing the deep lacerations on the back of Andre Fili's head from his bout with Vinicius Oliveira. Oliveira landed heavy elbows to Fili's head throughout the fight, which was refereed by Herb Dean.
Light Heavyweight champion Alex Pereira took a humorous jab at his own nerves on June 22, joking that the brutal lacerations suffered by Andre Fili in his recent bout against Vinicius Oliveira had left him afraid to step back inside the octagon.
Pereira, nicknamed "Poatan," holds the light heavyweight title and carries a 13-4 record. The 38-year-old Brazilian, who trains out of Teixeira MMA and Fitness, stands six-foot-four with a 79-inch reach and lands significant strikes at a rate of 5.16 per minute with an impressive 62 percent accuracy — numbers that make his tongue-in-cheek fear particularly amusing given his reputation as one of the sport's most dangerous strikers.
The fight that apparently spooked the champion featured Vinicius Oliveira, a 30-year-old Brazilian bantamweight ranked 12th in his division, landing heavy elbows to the back of Fili's head throughout their contest. Oliveira, who fights out of Sombra Team under the nickname "LokDog," carries a 24-4 record and averages 5.44 significant strikes per minute. The switch-stance finisher also adds 1.27 takedowns per 15 minutes to his arsenal, giving him multiple avenues to create damage. Herb Dean refereed the bout.
On the receiving end was Andre "Touchy" Fili, the 36-year-old Team Alpha Male veteran who holds a 25-14 record. The six-foot-one American, known for his 74-inch reach and active 2.24 takedowns per 15 minutes, walked away from the fight with deep cuts on the back of his head — the visible aftermath of Oliveira's persistent elbow work that drew Pereira's reaction.
Why it matters
- Pereira's public reaction highlights the physical toll of elbow-heavy grappling exchanges, even drawing notice from the sport's most prominent champion
- Oliveira's performance against a durable veteran like Fili strengthens his case as a rising force in the bantamweight division
- The moment underscores how striking damage can resonate far beyond a single division
