Impact Fili may have closed as roughly a (+200) betting underdog, but the veteran didn't look the part, working behind his jab to consistently land damage to his 27-year-old opponent. The striking numbers may have landed in favor of Rodriguez in all three rounds, but that doesn't tell the whole story, as Fili consistently landed the more damaging shots and even mixed in three takedowns for good measure. The "split decision" result is a bit misleading, as most media scorecards had this as a 30-27 victory for Fili. Even Rodriguez seemed to know he needed a finish in Round 3, but his final blitz came up short. It's a great win for Fili, though he hasn't strung together multiple victories since 2019. He's now alternated wins and losses in his last eight fights, making it tough to get headway in a loaded featherweight division.
AUGUST 10, 2025 • ROTOWIRE
