UFC Fight Night Report: Teixeira Defeats Smith in Dominant Fashion
By: Eric Marcotte
On Wednesday night, the UFC held its first Fight Night card since March 14th, at the empty VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, in Jacksonville, Florida. This marked the second of three UFC cards within eight days, and this particular event was headlined by light heavyweights Anthony Smith and Glover Teixeira. After a unanimous decision loss to champion Jon Jones last March, Smith rebounded with a submission stoppage of the long-time light heavyweight contender, Alexander Gustafsson, that June. Teixeira fought three times in 2019, where he picked up three consecutive wins and re-established himself as a threat in the light heavyweight division. In the co-main event, Ovince Saint Preux made his heavyweight debut against Ben Rothwell.
A fight in the middleweight division between Karl Roberson and Marvin Vettori was scheduled for this card, but Roberson missed weight on Tuesday by 1.5lbs, and on Wednesday, the fight was canceled due to medical issues on Roberson’s end.
The commentary team for this card was led by Jon Anik, alongside Paul Felder and former two-division champion, Daniel Cormier. Performance bonuses were awarded to Glover Teixeira and Drew Dober. Fight of the Night bonuses went out to Brian Kelleher and Hunter Azure.
QUICK RESULTS:
*Chase Sherman def. Isaac Villanueva by TKO at 0:49 of Round 2
*Brian Kelleher def. Hunter Azure by KO at 3:40 of Round 2
*Omar Morales def. Gabriel Benitez by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
*Sijara Eubanks def. Sarah Moras by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
*Thiago Moises def. Michael Johnson by heel hook at 0:25 of Round 2
*Andrei Arlovski def. Philipe Lins by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
*Ricky Simon def. Ray Borg by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
*Drew Dober def. Alexander Hernandez by TKO at 4:25 of Round 2
*Ben Rothwell def. Ovince Saint Preux by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
*Glover Teixeira def. Anthony Smith by TKO at 1:04 of Round 5
CHASE SHERMAN (14-6, 253) VS ISAAC VILLANUEVA (16-9, 232) – HEAVYWEIGHT
Sherman opened up with a heavy low kick and a hard-left hook. Villanueva responded with a left-hook of his own, a weapon that he used repeatedly to counter Sherman in the opening minutes. There was a sequence about halfway through the round where Sherman threw a beautiful combination of strikes, attacking the head, body and lead leg of Villanueva. Villanueva had some success when he flurried forward but found himself getting backed up for the majority of the round. They exchanged some heavy hands in the pocket, and towards the end of the round, Sherman was looking sharp.
They began trading in the pocket once again to start the second, and Sherman connected with a knee from the Thai clinch that backed Villanueva off. As Villanueva retreated, Sherman started teeing off on Villanueva against the cage, and crumpled him with a hard elbow, forcing referee Michael Cardoso to stop the fight.
WINNER: Chase Sherman by TKO at 0:49 of Round 2
This was a fun fight while it lasted, and marked Sherman’s return to the UFC after being cut from the promotion in 2018. He did a great job of mixing up his attack here, working both the body and the legs of Villanueva, which opened up the opportunity for the finish early in the second round. Sherman has now won his last four fights.
HUNTER AZURE (8-0, 145) VS BRIAN KELLEHER (20-10, 145.5) – FEATHERWEIGHT
Azure looked good early in this fight. He kept Kelleher at distance with kicks to the legs and body and threw some solid body shot combinations in there as well. Kelleher became more comfortable as the round progressed, but continued to eat heavy shots as he moved forward. Azure connected with a heavy body shot and Kelleher responded with a right hook. This was a clear 10-9 round, in favor of Azure.
Kelleher was more aggressive early in the second round, opening up the round with a big overhand right. Kelleher was doing a better job defensively but was still taking notable damage to his lead leg. As the round progressed, Azure continued to aggressively pursue his combinations to the body. Just as the momentum seemed to be swinging back Azure’s way, Kelleher connected with a counter left hook that dropped Azure, and then he finished him off with a pair of hammer fists.
WINNER: Brian Kelleher by KO at 3:40 of Round 2
Azure looked good early, but Kelleher stepped it up in the second round. This was Brian Kelleher’s first fight in the UFC at 145lbs, but judging by his post-fight interview, it seems he is planning a return to the bantamweight division for his next fight. Kelleher called out Sean O’Malley and asked for tie-dye shorts.
OMAR MORALES (9-0, 155.5) VS GABRIEL BENITEZ (21-7, 155.5) – LIGHTWEIGHT
Morales was a step ahead early in the round, fighting behind his jab, and mixing in some solid kicks. As the round continued, Benitez began to pull ahead, most notably landing a slipping left hook that knocked Morales’s head back, and later connecting with a head kick late in the round. This was a very close round, that I narrowly gave to Benitez.
Morales landed a powerful straight right and a hard kick to the body. This fight continued to be difficult to judge, as both fighters had a similar output of strikes, and neither man controlled the action at any particular point. I thought that Morales was putting together stronger combinations this round, and pressured forward a bit more then Benitez did. Referee Dan Miragliotta paused the action at one point as Benitez’s hair tie fell out. Another close round, but I thought Morales edged the round out.
The third round mirrored the first two, as we got another razor close period. Neither fighter had a prolonged period of dominance or control, and it came down to who landed the bigger strikes. Morales was throwing solid kicks to the body, and the empty area emphasized how hard these kicks were connecting. Benitez continued to do good work himself, including some notable bodywork, but I did not think it was enough to win him the round. I scored this fight 29-28 Morales.
WINNER: Omar Morales by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
After the fight, they showed a video of one of the nastiest cuts I can recall in a fight, that opened up on the leg of Benitez. In fact, “cut” is not a word that accurately summarizes the severity of this thing. It was incredibly deep, to the point you could see the bone. Nonetheless, he continued to throw it in the third round.
The fight was very close, but Morales narrowly pulled ahead in the later rounds. Still, Benitez looked impressive against his undefeated opponent, and despite the gruesome cut, he maintained an impressive offensive output in the third round. Morales is now 2-0 in the UFC.
SIJARA EUBANKS (5-4, 136) VS SARAH MORAS (6-6, 136) – BANTAMWEIGHT
Early in the first round, Eubanks landed a big looping right and a swift head kick. Moras was doing decent work with her jab, but Eubanks would respond with counter hooks. She threw a few more head kicks throughout the round, and the fighters exchanged low kicks. Not the most exciting round, but Eubanks likely won it with that early flurry.
Moras defended a takedown attempt from Eubanks. Moras was starting to let loose with some simple combinations that were finding a home. Eubanks responded with a pair of right hands. Moras attempted a takedown, but Eubanks reversed it into one of her own. Moras attempted an armbar, that Eubanks transitioned out of. Eubanks began to rain down the ground and pound strikes to close the round, and it won her second.
Into the third, Eubanks connected with a nice Superman punch and followed it up with an easy takedown. Moras attempted another armbar. One of the benefits of the empty arena is that Eubanks was able to have a clear conversation with her coach Mark Henry, and she escaped the attempt and landed some heavy ground and pound strikes to end the fight.
WINNER: Sijara Eubanks by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
This was a dominant win for Eubanks, which was much needed after dropping her last two fights. She expressed her desire to fight more frequently in her post-fight interview. Eubanks is now 3-2 in the UFC.
MICHAEL JOHNSON (19-15, 156) VS THIAGO MOISES (12-4, 155.5) – LIGHTWEIGHT
This fight opened up the main card.
Johnson sprawled on a pair of takedown attempts from Moises. Johnson controlled the round, teeing off on Moises as he circled the cage. This round was all Michael Johnson, as he controlled the entirety of the round, hitting Moises with a healthy mix of shots to the head and body.
The second round began and Moises immediately shot for a takedown from across the cage and pulled guard on Johnson. He attacked the leg of Johnson, rolled, and submitted him with a heel hook.
WINNER: Thiago Moises by heel hook at 0:25 of Round 2
For anyone familiar with Michael Johnson, this was a familiar fight. The pattern of him looking fantastic early, and then getting finished later in the fight has repeated throughout his career for years. Johnson is now 2-6 through his last eight fights.
Moises pulled off an impressive submission here after a rough first round and called out Anthony Pettis in his post-fight interview. Moises is now 2-2 in the UFC.
ANDREI ARLOVSKI (28-19, 2 NC, 238) VS PHILIPE LINS (14-3, 236) – HEAVYWEIGHT
This fight marked the 41-year-old Andrei Arlovski’s 32nd UFC appearance, a record in the heavyweight division. This fight was featured the UFC debut of former PFL champion Philipe Lins.
Lins threw a trio of low kicks to begin the fight. He backed Arlovski up with a big right hook. Arlovski repeatedly tried to flurry forward but ate powerful counter hooks for his efforts. A spinning back fist from Arlovski connected in the final minute. I scored the first round 10-9 for Philipe Lins.
Arlovski was not as aggressive in the second round, and thus, did not eat the same counter hooks that were killing him in the first. Lins connected with a clean kick down low to Arlovski, and the action was paused. This round was not particularly eventful, but Arlovski was the busier fighter, and I thought it won him the round.
Lins punished Arlovski for rushing forward with a couple more of those counter hooks. In return, Arlovski threw a front kick to the body. Arlovski connected with an elbow when exiting an exchange in the clinch. Lins landed a powerful low kick that Arlovski acknowledged. Again, Arlovski had a higher output in this round, and I scored the fight 29-28 in his favor.
WINNER: Andrei Arlovski by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
It seems whenever there are questions regarding Andrei Arlovski’s future, he rebounds with a performance like this. In Arlovski’s post-fight interview, the censors missed some curses due to Arlovski’s thick accent, which is becoming a trend I find amusing. Jon Anik noted that this November will mark 20 years since Arlovski’s UFC debut.
RAY BORG (13-4, 135.5) VS RICKY SIMON (15-3, 135) – BANTAMWEIGHT
Simon landed a series of strikes and took Borg down quickly in the first. It did not take long for Borg to return to the feet, and he pursued a takedown of his own. Simon landed an uppercut, and Borg responded with a combination to the body. As the commentators noted Simon’s physique, he flexed and proceeded to take Borg down once more. This was a solid round for Ricky Simon.
Simon took Borg down once more to begin the second. He was having little difficulty taking Borg down, but Borg would continuously find his way back to the feet quickly. Simon continued to be the more active fighter on the feet throughout the round. Simon got Borg to the ground one more time, briefly taking his back before Borg scrambled back to the feet. Towards the end of the round, Borg connected with a nice combination of strikes, but I had it 20-18 Simon going into the final round.
The third round looked like it would be another dominant one for Ricky Simon, but Borg rebounded late, showcasing some impressive transitions and reversals on the ground, and then ending the round with a series of powerful hooks. I thought he won the round but scored the fight 29-28 Simon.
WINNER: Ricky Simon by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
I cannot comprehend giving one of the first two rounds to Ray Borg, but we have most definitely seen crazier scorecards this year. Nonetheless, I thought both fighters looked impressive here, and this was a fun fifteen minutes. Simon got to show off his grappling chops, and Borg showcased notably improved striking. Simon is now 3-2 in the UFC.
ALEXANDER HERNANDEZ (11-2, 155) VS DREW DOBER (22-9, 1 NC, 156) – LIGHTWEIGHT
Both fighters came out of the gates aggressively. Hernandez took Dober down briefly. They both connected with strikes upon disengaging from the clinch. Hernandez changed levels on Dober, but Dober defended the takedown attempt well. Dober connected with a solid combination, with the last left straight knocking the head of Hernandez back.
The doctor was brought in between rounds to examine the right eye of Hernandez, who was poked badly at the end of the first round. Hernandez began the round with an eye poke of his own, and after a pause in the action, Dober came out swinging. He defended another takedown from Hernandez. Dober knocked Hernandez down and started teeing off on him against the cage, but a well-timed takedown from Hernandez saved him momentarily. Dober worked his way up and resumed his attack to the hurt Hernandez, and eventually referee Herb Dean stopped the fight when it became apparent that Hernandez was no longer intelligently defending himself.
WINNER: Drew Dober by TKO at 4:25 of Round 2
Dober has been on a great run as of late, winning 8 of his last 10 fights. He was the aggressor against a game opponent in Alexander Hernandez, and once he hurt him, he didn’t let up. He called out Paul Felder in his post-fight interview.
BEN ROTHWELL (37-12, 265) VS OVINCE SAINT PREUX (24-13, 240.5) – HEAVYWEIGHT
This was Ovince Saint Preux’s heavyweight debut.
The first round was slow, as the fighters gauged the distance and timing for the majority of the round. Rothwell found some success with his right hand. Rothwell ate a head kick from Saint Preux and took him down against the cage, leaning his weight onto OSP for the final minute of the round. 10-9 Rothwell.
Rothwell continued to be the aggressor in the second round. He continuously found a home for his strikes and connected with some knees from the Thai clinch. Saint Preux took the shots well but seemed to be tiring as the round wore on. Rothwell started digging into the body. Saint Preux dropped Rothwell with a counter left as Rothwell moved forward, and the round came to a close. Very tough round to score when you factor in the late knockdown, and it was enough for me to give OSP the round.
Rothwell pursued the clinch and went back to the knees he found success within the second. They traded strikes against the cage, and Rothwell landed a solid knee to the body. OSP connected with a big left hand, a head kick, then an uppercut. Rothwell pressed Saint Preux against the cage for a notable portion of the round. The exhausted fighters started trading wildly in the final seconds of the fight, and I narrowly scored the round, and the fight, for Ovince Saint Preux.
WINNER: Ben Rothwell by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
This was a strange, sloppy, entertaining, heavyweight affair. OSP looked largely like the same fighter at heavyweight, for the better or the worse. He seemed wary of Rothwell’s power at the beginning of the fight but became more comfortable as the fight progressed. Rothwell fought a smart fight, overwhelming Saint Preux with his pressure at times, but was occasionally punished when he fought overly aggressive. He is now 2-2 since making his return last year. Rothwell called out Aleksei Oleinik in his post-fight interview.
ANTHONY SMITH (33-14, 205) VS GLOVER TEIXEIRA (30-7, 205.5) – LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Quick straight right to start the fight from Anthony Smith. Smith’s speed advantage was immediately evident, lighting Glover up with jabs. The right hand from Smith was doing damage. Teixeira threw a left hook that caught Smith low, and the action was paused. As the fight resumed, Smith landed another right hand, and Glover responded with a pair of low kicks. Teixeira landed a solid hook towards the end of the round. I scored the first round 10-9 for Anthony Smith.
Teixeira opened up the second round with several low kicks and body shots. Smith answered with a number of his kicks to the body of Teixeira. Smith landed a huge right hand that caused Glovers left eye to immediately swell. Glover started fighting very aggressively, teeing off on Anthony Smith against the cage. Teixeira landed a left hand that stalled Smith. The commentators speculated that Smith might be gassing from his heavy output. Glover connected with a spinning back kick to the body to end the round. I had the fight 19-19 going into the third.
Teixeira hurt Smith with an uppercut, then knocked Smith down with a left hook. Glover followed him to the ground and began alternating strikes and choke attempts looking for the finish. Most referees probably would have ended the fight after the knockdown, but Jason Herzog allowed the action to continue. Glover moved into full mount, but Smith rolled out of it. Teixeira started pressing the seated Smith against the cage and transitioned to his back. Glover continued to rain down strikes, but Smith kept moving, keeping himself alive. I gave Teixeira a 10-8 for this round. I was shocked that it wasn’t stopped after the knockdown.
Glover immediately rocked Smith with another uppercut, but Smith kept throwing to keep Glover off of him momentarily. Teixeira forced Smith to shoot for a single leg with a series of uppercuts, and Teixeira took his back once again. Glover let him up, they exchanged strikes against the cage, and Teixeira took him down once more. Glover began unloading with elbows and Smith was taking a ton of damage. This fight should have been stopped at this point. Still, Smith hung in there. Nonetheless, another 10-8 round for Glover Teixeira.
Smith was almost unrecognizable going into the fifth, telling his corner that his teeth were falling out. Smith ate a couple more shots and shot for another takedown, which Teixeira reversed, and quickly transitioned to full mount. Glover began unloading and the fight was finally stopped. Jon Anik said it best with the words: “mercifully its over”.
WINNER: Glover Teixeira by TKO at 1:04 of Round 5
Smith looked good in the opening rounds, but he exhausted his gas tank quickly, and the last 3 rounds were very uncomfortable to watch. Glover Teixeira put a beating on Anthony Smith, and it would not be hyperbole to say that it was one of the most one-sided beatdowns in recent history. I was shocked it was not stopped after the initial knockdown, and both the referee and Smiths corner are going to be scrutinized by fans and fighters alike for not stopping this fight earlier.
Teixeira, now 40, is on a 4-fight win streak, and this win will likely re-position him in the top 5 of the division. It is unlikely that his next fight will be for a title, but I would not be surprised to see him face a top contender such as Thiago Santos.
