Bryce Mitchell not only avoided his first loss in the UFC but also his first loss in the long-awaited debut of his camouflage shorts on Saturday night. The No. 15-ranked featherweight contender improved to 5-0 after a hard-fought three-round unanimous decision win over Andre Fili in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 12.
Mitchell had a dominant first round, scoring multiple takedowns and controlling top position. The second round felt a bit more even as Fili was able to stay on his feet for more of it and even landed some solid shots. Mitchell scored another takedown about halfway through the round but Fili got upright and landed a kick that sent Thug Nasty's mouthpiece flying.
Heading into the third, it was anyone's fight but Mitchell opened the final frame with a takedown to assume control. Although Fili made it back to his feet, he was neutralized quickly again with yet another takedown by Mitchell. It was more of the same for the rest of the fight as Mitchell grinded out a unanimous decision win 29-28, 30-27 twice.
With the win, the No. 15-ranked Mitchell improved to 14-1 overall with a perfect 5-0 record in the UFC. Fili fell to 21-8.