Andre Fili Blasts Illegal Elbows in UFC Vegas 119 Loss, Says 3rd Round Was Denied

Q: How will the UFC's new crypto bonus, tied to a Trump family business, change fighter pay?

It does not broadly raise UFC fighter pay; it creates a limited, event-specific upside for a small number of bonus winners. At UFC Freedom 250, World Liberty Financial, a UFC sponsor tied to the Trump family, added $250,000 in USD1 stablecoin to the bonus pool. That pushed individual “Performance of the Night” awards to $425,000 each and helped lift total bonuses on the card to about $1.65 million for 14 fighters. For the fighters who won those awards, the change was significant: they earned far more than the standard bonus structure would normally provide. For most fighters, though, nothing fundamental changes. The available reporting does not show any increase to contracted show money, win money, or standard pay across the roster. Instead, the new system appears to affect only selected bonuses at certain events. The other practical change is how some bonuses are paid. Instead of receiving those extra awards in traditional dollars, winners are paid in USD1, a stablecoin issued by World Liberty Financial. Because USD1 is designed to track the U.S. dollar, its face value is meant to function like cash, but the payment method also gives the crypto product high visibility. In Andre Fili’s case, the reported extra $100,000 Fight of the Night bonus reflects the UFC’s bonus system, but the broader crypto initiative does not appear to change his base compensation or create a permanent pay increase for all fighters.

3 articles · Updated · MMA Mania · Jun 23

Andre Fili said illegal blows to the back of his head caused the second-round stoppage in his UFC Vegas 119 loss to Vinicius Oliveira and cost him a chance to reach Round 3.
Monday Instagram posts showed a screenshot of the elbow Fili says dropped him and a bloodied patch on the back of his head, which he cited as evidence the strike was not clean.
The finishing sequence came in the final 10 seconds of Round 2 after a competitive fight in which Fili landed counters and body kicks before Oliveira increased pressure and body work.
Any appeal would face long odds, with the report noting MMA officials rarely overturn results even when fighters present video stills or visible injury.

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Andre Fili Blasts Illegal Elbows in UFC Vegas 119 Loss, Says 3rd Round Was Denied

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