Glover Teixeira will continue his climb toward the top of the light heavyweight division at UFC 160, where he will meet Ryan Bader, another talented 205-pound fighter hoping to break through after a long period of time on the fringe of title contention.
Teixeira has won his first three UFC bouts, stopping Kyle Kingsbury and Fabio Maldonado before spoiling Quinton Jackson‘s likely UFC farewell.
Meanwhile, Bader has won three of his past four fights, which also included a decision win over Jackson. The former TUF winner’s only loss during that span was a knockout at the hands of former champion Lyoto Machida.
Although most opponents fear the knockout power of these two light heavyweights, Teixeira and Bader are arguably even more skilled on the ground. Teixeira is a jiu-jitsu black belt, and Bader was twice an NCAA wrestling All-American.
Despite his amateur wrestling background, Bader has not fully grasped MMA wrestling and setups required to take high-level opponents to the ground, as he’s only been successful on 43 percent of his takedown attempts (via UFC.com).
Conversely, Teixeira has not yet been taken down by any of his UFC adversaries (via UFC.com).
Even if Bader‘s wrestling had transitioned seamlessly into the MMA realm, he’s still a fighter who likes to stand and throw bombs until the need for a takedown arises.
If Teixeira and Bader trade on their feet, the fight could simply be determined by the first punch to find its mark, as both men carry heavy hands an questionable chins.
While Bader has been knocked down by Machida and Tito Ortiz, Teixeira has also suffered a knockout loss and was recently rocked by a desperation punch from Fabio Maldonado.
Should this matchup come down to the fighter to test their opponent’s chin first, Teixeira would probably have to be given the edge. His striking arsenal is a little more diverse than Bader‘s, who relies on Dan Henderson-like haymakers frequently.
A first-round stoppage of Bader would give Teixeira a boost toward the top of the 205-pound rankings and could set him up for a title shot eliminator, considering all the hype surrounding his meteoric rise in the light heavyweight division.
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