The UFC returned to Brazil Saturday night, hosting a pay-per-view live from Rio de Janeiro. Headlined by Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes, the card figured to be exciting but was relatively light on star power.
Occupying the co-main event were Phil Davis and Glover Teixeira, both of whom figured to be around the title picture. After three rounds of lackluster action, Davis took a unanimous decision, which got him back in the win column.
So, what did we learn from the co-main event? Let’s take a look right now.
What We’ll Remember from the Fight
This fight had the excitement of a 20-year prison sentence. Basically what I am saying is that this fight was boring and sleep-inducing, as Davis consistently looked for the takedown and held onto the Brazilian.
The end of the fight brought sweet release—release from watching any more of that terribly dry bout. I’d say a year from now, maybe even in a few weeks, we won’t remember anything from that bout.
What We Learned About Davis
This was a pretty typical Davis bout. He didn’t inflict much damage, as he wrestled for a big chunk of the 15 minutes.
That’s why we probably learned nothing about him, other than he wants to fight Anderson Silva next, as he stated on the broadcast.
Yeah, no thanks, Phil.
What We Learned About Teixeira
We definitely learned this was not Teixeira’s best performance. He did his best to keep Davis from planting him on the mat and for a while was pretty successful.
However, he did succumb to the takedown on multiple occasions, showing his wrestling may not be as strong as we believed. However, fighting Davis can make it look like that.
What’s Next for Davis?
Davis is in an interesting spot here. He has failed in his biggest fights against Anthony Johnson and Rashad Evans but has been beating guys outside the Top Five handily.
A date with Ryan Bader sounds about right. Both men are high-level wrestlers, which could equal out. We will see who has more tools between them.
To be honest, I’m surprised this fight hasn’t happened yet.
What’s Next for Teixeira?
Teixeira has now lost two in a row. Sure, one was a title fight, but you can’t bank on job security at any level if you stick around the loss column.
He won’t be cut. However, he needs to rebound in a major way. Give him former Strikeforce champ Rafael Cavalcante and have them sort out who is the better man.
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