Glover Teixeira sent a message to the rest of the UFC by knocking out Ryan Bader in the first round on Wednesday night in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
That message? Teixeira is for real.
UFC Fight Night 28 was a short one for Bader. He fell to 15-4 in his career after being knocked out, but the story was all about the victor and what his win means moving forward.
Teixeira has now won 20 consecutive fights, including three this year. He improved to 22-2 in his career, and it was the 13th time that he won via knockout.
Bader was the toughest opponent Teixeira has ever faced, so the result is even more impressive.
Teixeira’s aggressive style helped him earn the knockout, as he took control of the middle of the Octagon from the beginning. However, Bader was ready for it and actually looked like he might be able to stay with his opponent.
He tried to take down Teixeira early on but was unsuccessful. The fighters did end up on the ground after Teixeira countered with his own takedown. Bader landed a punch with his right hand shortly after the two got on their feet, but that was the 30-year-old’s last chance in this fight.
It was a strong comeback by Teixeira. The 6’2″ fighter was stunned by Bader‘s aggressive tactics, but he didn’t back down. Rather, he adjusted to his opponent. The two started exchanging blows, and he was able to send Bader to the mat. From there, it was just a matter of time before the fight ended, which it did at 2:55.
The result earned high praise from UFC president Dana White:
Wednesday’s fight was a chance for Teixeira to send a message to the rest of the UFC. And since he doesn’t have much experience with the organization, he knew he was going to need to be impressive. He improved to 5-0 in UFC fights since he first fought in May of 2012.
Yes, he briefly looked like he might get knocked out. The way he responded to Bader‘s attacks, though, showed that he doesn’t get shaken and proved that he will be able to fight against tough opponents.
Now the 33-year-old is waiting to see if he gets a chance to fight for the UFC light heavyweight championship. The win put him in line to face the winner of Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson. That fight will be on Saturday, Sept. 21.
Teixeira did what he had to in the fight. He was challenged by a worthy opponent, and he was able to extend his winning streak. By knocking out Bader, he told the rest of the UFC that he is for real.
Now that Teixeira has made a statement, his next goal will be to win the belt.
All stats are courtesy of UFC.com.
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