TACHI PALACE 14 PREVIEW: ANDRE FILI VS RICKY WALLACE, WHO IS "THE FURY"? PART ONE

ANDRE FILI

THE FIGHTER BEHIND THE FISTS
On the horn:
J. Waugh
EDITOR IN CHIEF
"Mentally ready, physically ready, weights on point and I've done everything right," Fili told J. Waugh (SR). "So whether I'm fighting Ricky Wallace or Chris Saunders, I'm going to be ready and it's going to be a great fight."
(CONTINUED). . . IN DEPTH INTERVIEW
     Andre "The Fury" Fili is set to take on Hawaiian sensation Ricky "Hoku" Wallace on September 7, at the Tachi Palace Fights (TPF) 14 event that will also be broadcast live for free on Sherdog.com. Wallace has fought on cards that have included Max Holloway (UFC FIGHTER), and is himself on an eight fight winning streak. Wallace hasn't lost since 2008 and has earned nine of his eleven wins by finishing his opponents. Fili has finished seven of his nine victories by stoppage, five of those wins have come by first round knock out. Fili is very happy to be involved with TPF, an organization that has fed the UFC (the largest MMA organization in the world) directly with top level fighters for quite some time.

FILI LANDING THE PUNCH

"It's a cool milestone to fight at Tachi," Fili told J. Waugh (www.srmma.com). "I feel like it's a good place marker in my career where I can look at and say, 'That's where I really took a step up.' Hopefully I'll give Tachi a great fight and the right people will see that, and it will lead to bigger things."
       Fili is also the current West Coast Fighting Championship featherweight title holder, with his most recent victory over Jesse Bowen at the WFC 'SHOWDOWN' card earlier this year. Former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) television show contestant Chris Saunders was the original opponent for Fili on the TPF 14 card, but an injury forced Saunders from the fight. Wallace was willing and able to step in as a replacement opponent for Fili, a change "The Fury" believes can't bother a top tier athlete if they are truly prepared to fight.

FILI (CENTER) WITH FRIENDS.

"I don't know as much about Ricky Wallace as I do Chris Saunders," Fili told SR (www.srmma.com). "I hear (Wallace) throws powerful punches and he's got a lot of (submissions) on his record . . . Whatever a person's style is, if you're ready for a fight you're ready. Mentally ready, physically ready, weights on point and I've done everything right. So whether I'm fighting Ricky Wallace or Chris Saunders, I'm going to be ready and it's going to be a great fight."
       Fili trains at a world renowned gym in the capital city of Sacramento, with (what many in the industry couldn't argue with as) some of the best fighting talent that can be found on the planet, Team Alpha Male. His training with athletes that are already at the top level of the sport he loves has Fili feeling that only a fighter with his own innovative techniques could offer a surprise in the cage come fight night.
"(At Team Alpha Male) I have guys that are top three in the world at every weight class," Fili told SR (www.srmma.com). "I just don't think that anyone is going to show me anything that I haven't seen. . . I'm getting my a** kicked everyday in practice so if you're not inventing something new then you're not going to surprise me."

       Fili discussed that every fighting minute of the day has been Ricky Wallace for him since the match up was announced. He believes that Alpha Male has helped cultivate the tools he long needed to better focus himself on the task at hand, as well as the big picture and the ultimate goal.
"Whatever kind of kid I was before, I think in the last two years that I've been at Alpha Male I've just grown up a lot," Fili told SR (www.srmma.com). "I've just focused on what's important, being a world champion, getting into the UFC, doing the right things and having a little bit of fun with my friends while I'm at it."

FILI (TITLE) WITH HIS FAMILY.

       Growing up for Fili did not always mean the ideal family dynamic that most people would believe is needed to foster such a talented athlete. On the contrary, having only one parent around was actually a motivating factor for him as his mother worked hard to give the family everything she was able to give. This hard work and sacrifice is something that Fili says has stayed with him growing up in Seattle and now in Sacramento. The people closest to him are the things that Fili says keep him focused on bringing "The Fury" to Wallace when the cage door is shut.
"What motivates me is my friends and family. They're everything to me," Fili told SR (www.srmma.com). "My mom works really hard. She was a single parent. . . (She) made sacrifices . . . my mom spent winters without jackets (in Seattle) to give us nice cloths and to have toys, and have Thanksgiving dinner, and to celebrate holidays and birthdays, and give us the best life she could. So that really stayed with me for a long time."
       To watch Fili vs Wallace live, buy tickets at TachiPalace.com or check out Sherdog.com at 9 P.M (EST) on September 7. You can also follow our live tweets by following SR on twitter @SRMMAtweets and listen to Fili's full length interview on THE VERBAL SCRAP PODCAST live. The next episode is Monday, September 3rd at 7:15 PM, Listen Live on SRMMA.COM on the right sidebar and stay tuned for more TPF 14 coverage.

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Contact Editor Waugh:

MINUTE 67: ANDRE FILI INTERVIEW ..

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