Andre Fili disputes Herb Dean stoppage after UFC Vegas loss

Andre Fili protested to referee Herb Dean immediately after his second-round stoppage loss to Vinicius Oliveira at UFC Fight Night 279 on Saturday in Las Vegas, claiming some of the finishing shots landed on the back of his head.

Oliveira survived early trouble from Fili's body kicks in the opening round before rallying late in the second. After stunning Fili, the Brazilian unloaded a flurry that forced Dean to wave off the contest just before the bell, per Sherdog. Social media footage captured Fili pointing to his head and speaking with Dean in the aftermath, while the veteran official appeared to review replays with commission observers watching.

Dean's second controversial stoppage in a month

The sequence marks the second time in recent weeks Dean has faced scrutiny over potential back-of-the-head strikes. Earlier this month at UFC White House, some of Ciryl Gane's ground shots against Alex Pereira in their interim heavyweight title bout drew similar questions. Dean later posted a video clarifying his interpretation of what constitutes an illegal target zone.

Fili dropped to 25-14 with the defeat, while Oliveira improved to 24-4 in his featherweight debut. No word yet on whether the result will be reviewed by the Nevada commission.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Fighter complains to Herb Dean about illegal shots following UFC Fight Night 279 loss