Andre Fialho Record: 16-9-0

Breakthrough and the UAE Warriors title

The fight that changed Fialho's trajectory came in January 2021, when he headlined his own card against former UFC standout James Vick and stopped him with punches in the second round. He followed it with a run of knockouts in the UAE Warriors promotion, capturing championship gold and stamping himself as one of the most dangerous finishers outside the UFC. That body of work earned him the call to the sport's biggest stage.

UFC tenure

Fialho debuted in the Octagon at UFC 270 in January 2022, dropping a competitive decision to the unpredictable Michel Pereira. He bounced back in spectacular fashion, becoming one of the busiest fighters of 2022: he knocked out Miguel Baeza with punches in the first round in April, then flattened Cameron VanCamp with a single first-round punch at UFC 274 just weeks later. The competition stiffened from there. A second-round knockout loss to Jake Matthews at UFC 275 was followed by a spectacular spinning-wheel-kick TKO defeat to Muslim Salikhov. In 2023, Fialho dropped a pair of stoppages to Joaquin Buckley and the durable veteran Tim Means, closing out a high-variance UFC run defined by must-watch violence.

Fighting style

Fialho is a knockout artist first and last. Thirteen of his 16 wins have come by knockout or technical knockout – an 88% finish rate – built on the heavy, technically sharp boxing he inherited from his father. He pressures forward, loads up on power shots, and is genuinely capable of ending any fight with one hand. The trade-off is well documented: seven of his nine losses have come by KO/TKO, reflecting a high-risk, fan-friendly approach where he is willing to stand and trade in firefights. When his timing is on, few welterweights are more thrilling; when it slips, he can be caught in the same exchanges he hunts.

Career highlights

• 88% finish rate with 13 knockouts — one of the most explosive power-punching résumés in the welterweight division.
• UAE Warriors champion — captured a major international title during a knockout-laden run that earned him his UFC contract.
• Back-to-back first-round UFC knockouts in 2022 — stopped Miguel Baeza and Cameron VanCamp within weeks, announcing himself as one of the year's most active finishers.