UFC 197 results: Yair Rodriguez KOs Andre Fili with a head kick for the ages

Yair Rodriguez

LAS VEGAS – For the first seven minutes of his fight with Andre Fili, it looked as though Yair Rodriguez planned on showing off his ground-and-pound skills along with his kicks.

But in the end, it was the latter that finished the job for Rodriguez (7-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC), when in the second frame he surprised Fili (15-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) with a jumping switch kick that netted a brutal knockout.

The featherweight bout opened up the main card of today’s UFC 197 event at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

The end came at the 2:15 mark of the second round when Rodriguez’s shin caught Fili flush to the face and sent him crashing to the mat, his head bouncing off the canvas. Referee Dan Miragliotta needed no second look to declare the fight over.

Only moments earlier, Rodriguez had grounded Fili a second time, working strikes from the top and scoring points. Fili could do little except bicycle his legs in hope of landing a kick and wait for a moment to get back to his feet, which came soon enough.

In the first round, Fili’s eagerness to trade with Rodriguez cost him another takedown and a couple of brutal punches from bottom position. When the two returned to their feet, a leg kick swept Fili off his feet, highlighting the Mexican fighter’s striking dexterity.

As it turned out, it would be a preview of coming attractions. Rodriguez remains unbeaten in the UFC with four straight wins, while Fili, a Team Alpha Male product, continues to seesaw, having alternated wins and losses since his October 2013 debut.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 197 results include:

• Yair Rodriguez def. Andre Fili via knockout (head kick) – Round 2, 2:15
• Sergio Pettis def. Chris Kelades via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Danny Roberts def. Dominique Steele via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Carla Esparza def. Juliana Lima via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• James Vick def. Glaico Franca via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
• Walt Harris def. Cody East via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:18
• Marcos Rogerio de Lima def. Clint Hester via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 4:35
• Kevin Lee def. Efrain Escudero via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

For complete coverage of UFC 197, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s John Morgan and Matt Erickson contributed to this report on site in Las Vegas.)