UFC 179 results, photos: Andre Fili takes unanimous decision from Felipe Arantes

RIO DE JANEIRO – Team Alpha Male prospect Andre Fili won a contest of takedowns over 15 minutes with a tough Felipe Arantes.

Arantes (16-7-1 MMA, 3-3-1 UFC) may have done damage early on, but it was Fili (14-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) who consistently exerted his will when the fight hit the mat.

The featherweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC 179 event at Maracanazinho Gymnasium in Rio de Janeiro. It aired on FOX Sports 1 following additional prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ahead of the main card on pay-per-view.

The final scores were unanimously 29-28 for Fili, who gets back on the winning track after an April submission loss to Max Hollaway cooled his hype, while Arantes again goes back to the drawing board after a February win over Maximo Blanco.

Fili put the fight on the mat early on, but took the most damage he would take over the three-rounder when Arantes reversed and landed a punishing elbow that cut him. Arantes then threatened from mount, but couldn’t convert the opportunity.

Arantes tired as the fight went into deep waters, and yet he still was able to get out of trouble when Fili put him on the mat. Fili’s relentless takedown attempts, however, made it tough for him to build momentum.

Although Fili several times gave up position as he went for a Peruvian necktie or plunged down on Arantes with a punch, he always managed to wind up in an advantageous position.

“I want to thank ‘Sertanejo,'” Fili said. “I have a lot of respect for him. I’m not happy with my performance at all. I didn’t like my fight. I know could have done better, but I hope the fans liked it. I love Brazil, and I love the Brazilian fans. This crowd is amazing.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC 179 results include:

For complete coverage of UFC 179, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s John Morgan contributed to this report on site in Rio.)