On Saturday in Poland, Andre Fili put on a dominant performance against Artem Lobov and won via unanimous decision. Watching on the sidelines was none other than UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, who was there to show support for Lobov.
“The Notorious” received a round of cheers from the crowd as he arrived, and even acted as a fourth cornerman for Lobov, for which he was called out by presiding referee Marc Goddard. But for Fili, McGregor’s presence only fired him up.
“There’s nothing like kicking someone’s ass with their best friend watching on in their corner,” Fili told MMA Fighting. “Conor did me a big favor. I was already ready to go but he made me turn it up another level.”
“That fired me right up. He tried to stare me down and I locked eyes with him and did not back down. He started quoting Notorious B.I.G. lyrics and I just laughed. I was just like ‘not tonight, mother---ker.’ That's why I did his ‘billionaire strut’ and everything.”
Fili says he even exchanged some cordial words with McGregor inside the Octagon after the fight, which was why it came off as a shock to him to be called a “f----t” behind his back.
“I told him it was all about the fight, what happened in the fight stayed there, and that I respected him,” Fili recalled. “I thought we were cool. I meant it, too. I know having Conor in the middle of my fight means I get way more attention, I have more Twitter and Instagram followers now and I’ll make more money. I know what he’s done to lift the sport.”
“There’s no need to use words like that. You don’t need to demean other people to make yourself seem bigger. Whenever you hear someone use that word or call someone a ‘bitch,’ that makes you look so insecure.”
“Don’t be fake with me,” Fili added. “I’m as real a person as you’re going to meet. You’re always going to know where you stand with me. For him to say what he said and then turn right around and act like we’re cool, that’s so fake.”