Third-ranked UFC light heavyweight Glover Teixeira doesn’t want to make excuses regarding his unanimous-decision loss to Jon Jones in their title fight at UFC 172.
Teixeira, however, offered an explanation for his lackluster performance that…
Third-ranked UFC light heavyweight Glover Teixeira doesn’t want to make excuses regarding his unanimous-decision loss to Jon Jones in their title fight at UFC 172.
Teixeira, however, offered an explanation for his lackluster performance that resulted in his first career UFC setback to MMAFighting.com’s Guilherme Cruz.
That shoulder crank in the first round really hurt me. I regret letting him do that, it was a big mistake. But there’s nothing I can do about it now. After the first round, I had no punching power, and I had to push him with my left arm in the clinch, so I pretty much tired my both shoulders. I have to evolve in a lot of aspects of the fight, there’s not much to say.
Because of Jones’ wicked first-round shoulder crank on Teixeira, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who’s never been submitted, the 34-year-old Brazilian will need surgery to repair his torn labrum.
Regardless of the fight’s lopsided outcome, Teixeira, unbeaten since 2005 prior to UFC 172, still talked about squandered opportunities against “Bones.”
“I’m disappointed with the fight and the things I let him do. Some things I thought would be harder to do, like blocking his kicks and closing the distance, but it was easier than I thought. I can’t say ‘Oh, if I had the chance to close the distance and hit him.’ I had that chance.”
Taking advantage of his 84.5-inch reach, Jones outstruck Teixeira, 158-65, including 138-53 in the significant strikes category, according to FightMetric.
Jones suffered his lone career loss in a disqualification against Matt Hamill in 2009. He has defended his 205-pound belt a record seven times.
Teixeira won his first five bouts in the UFC, including two by submission and two by TKO.
Bad news, everyone.
No matter how much people hate Jon Jones or how much they love Chuck Liddell, their feud is among the silliest things in MMA since Dana White had hair. It’s a waste of everyone’s time to listen to it, and a waste of breath for those…
Bad news, everyone.
No matter how much people hate Jon Jones or how much they love Chuck Liddell, their feud is among the silliest things in MMA since Dana Whitehad hair. It’s a waste of everyone’s time to listen to it, and a waste of breath for those involved to even talk about it. Everything about it is just plain silly.
On one hand you have Jones, a dominant champion presently on track to be the greatest fighter who ever lived by the end of 2015.
On the other you have Liddell, a guy who was as great as great could be in his prime, but who’s been out of the game almost as long as Jones has been in it.
The idea of them meeting under any circumstance is some blend of idiotic, fantastical, delusional and maddening, depending on how one would choose to frame it. It’s the type of thing that does no good for anyone.
Yes, it’s borne of the same competitive fire that made Liddell great. He couldn’t help but give his particularly scathing opinions of Jones when asked, both because his buddy Glover Teixeira was prepping to fight him and also because he genuinely feels that way.
As both a good teammate and a great warrior, he honestly thinks that he would have beat Jones in his prime and he honestly thought that Teixeira was the next best guy to do it if he couldn’t.
UFC 172 showed the latter to be incorrect, and a little observation could prove the former wrong as well.
In his prime, Liddell never fought someone with the athletic or physical tools that Jones has, much less someone with his unique blend of learned skills. There’s no concrete comparison there to be made with an opponent from Liddell‘s prime, because one doesn’t exist.
That applies on a broader scale as well: An individual opponent from Liddell‘s prime doesn’t exist as a comparison to Jones because nobody like Jones has ever existed.
This is not a singular thing that’s unique to Liddell‘s career; it’s a sport-wide phenomenon. Jones is the first guy like Jones, so there’s no blueprint for how Liddell would match up with him.
Extrapolate that point a little further though, and you get the foundation of an argument as old as sport itself: Old School versus New School. Can the people or teams from our past compete with the people or teams of today?
How long have such arguments existed? How many times have you and a friend argued over Tyson vs. Ali or some other variation, perhaps replacing boxers with football teams or basketball teams?
Probably hundreds.
What makes this hypothetical Jones-Liddell beef a little different, though, is the rapid evolution of a sport as young as MMA. Techniques are being adapted and innovated on a card-to-card basis in modern MMA, fighters drawing on hundreds of years of martial arts information and applying it to a sport that’s still just 20 years old.
To put it mildly, what it takes to be a champion today is vastly different than what it took to be a champion in Liddell‘s day. And though that day isn’t even a decade ago, it’s still nearly half the life of the sport ago.
Think about that.
Do you think that the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks, winners of the Stanley Cup as hockey’s best team, would beat the 1944 Montreal Canadiens, who did the same in their generation, under modern rules in the modern era?
Most certainly.
And comparatively that’s the question you’re asking of a hypothetical fight between Jones and Liddell. It’s a question that, if we’re all being honest here, we already know the answer to, too.
Who knows where it came from or why it became a thing, but it did. People were almost as interested in Jones fighting Liddell as they were in watching him fight Teixeira, and truthfully the pay-per-view numbers probably would have tripled if that’d been the fight headlining UFC 172.
The bottom line though? It’s silly. It’s a waste of time.
So let’s all just agree to focus more on actual fights that actually might happen and actually matter.
Liddell is gone and Jones is here, and no amount of mythical matchmaking is going to change that.
Jon Jones continues to assert himself as the top pound-for-pound fighter in MMA today. In doing so, he’s getting closer and closer to becoming the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in MMA history.
On Saturday, Bones took care of business against Glover …
Jon Jones continues to assert himself as the top pound-for-pound fighter in MMA today. In doing so, he’s getting closer and closer to becoming the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in MMA history.
On Saturday, Bones took care of business against Glover Teixeira. The champion roughed the Brazilian up in the clinch and mixed things up with multiple takedowns as well.
Now having earned seven consecutive title defenses, Jones has a longer UFC reign than any current champion with the promotion. The light heavyweight titleholder is also only three wins away from tying Anderson Silva’s UFC record.
With UFC 172 in the books and UFC Fight Night 40 coming up on May 10, here are the latest official UFC rankings as voted on by various members of the MMA media, via UFC.com.
UFC 172 reminded fight fans what makes the sport of mixed martial arts so special.
This event had it all, and the crowd at the Baltimore Arena delighted in its perfection, cheering wildly with an unbridled passion and a keen understanding of the …
UFC 172 reminded fight fans what makes the sport of mixed martial arts so special.
This event had it all, and the crowd at the Baltimore Arena delighted in its perfection, cheering wildly with an unbridled passion and a keen understanding of the fight game.
The crowd, put simply, was incredible, and the fights were somehow even better. The two played off each other in a symbiotic relationship of violence, and the results were stellar.
To call the crowd of nearly 14,000 “loud” doesn’t accurately capture its fervor. The expressions of enjoyment were relentless, as the crowd blew up at every punch, kick, transition, knockout and submission.
As Jones cartwheeled into the Octagon to face his challenger Glover Teixeira, the enormity of the event rippled from the cage and across press row, slamming me in the chest and leaving behind an anticipatory tingle.
“You’re not the one fighting, dude,” I had to remind myself.
Most of this—the excitement, the noise, the atmosphere—you can gather from home. With a great sound system, you might even be able to match the decibel levels.
However, like watching a DVD of your favorite band versus being front row at a concert, the at-home experience just isn’t the same. You miss out on the little details, and the event’s full impact is lost somewhere along the transmission process.
You miss UFC lightweight Michael Johnson and UFC bantamweight Mike Easton verbally sparring during the night’s co-main event of the evening between Phil Davis and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.
From his front-row seat directly behind the press, Johnson, a training partner of Rumble’s, boisterously called out commands and applauded his teammate’s successes, elements that irked Easton, a training partner of Davis.
“Throw the left high kick, Rumble. Oh my God! It’s right there!” Johnson would yell as Easton begged Davis for a counter.
Of course, Johnson enjoyed the upper hand in this lighthearted cheering session, as Rumble thoroughly dismantled “Mr. Wonderful” from bell to bell. By the end, Johnson and Easton laughed it off and went their separate ways, leaving the paying patrons surrounding them with a cool story to take home.
You miss Donald Cerrone‘s traveling star power, which is evident as he is swarmed by fans—some just cheering, some asking for a picture or an autograph—while making his way Octagon-side for the fights.
The same can be said for former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell, a man who carried an entourage of adoring followers—some too young to have possibly seen his fights live—around with him as he traversed the Baltimore Arena, obligating media and fan requests at every turn.
You miss national superstar Anthony Bourdain walking calmly down a hallway, flanked by his wife Ottavia and some security guards.
“Ask for a quick picture; mom loves him,” raced through my head. “Yeah, but I’m working. I can’t do that,” came the reply. By the time the gears were done churning and my verdict was made, the lanky chef and author was long gone anyway.
Maybe next time, Mr. Bourdain.
You miss Jon Jones, the main attraction, ducking into a bathroom during Ultimate Media Day to fix his hair and to adjust his sunglasses to achieve the perfect tilt.
(Note: No, I didn’t follow him into the bathroom. I was there first. He legitimately came in to check himself out, though.)
These behind-the-scenes details add depth to the event; they create the full package that is UFC 172. You realize you’re at a legitimate, professionally operated, brilliantly organized sporting event, and this is understood before the fighters even step into the cage.
Speaking of that…
Chris Beal set the tone for the evening early. His second-round flying knee in the opening bout collided with Patrick Williams’ chin, creating a deafening crack that was easily heard from my vantage point. Heck, you could probably hear that one from the nosebleeds. It was absolutely vicious.
After that, Team Alpha Male lightweight Danny Castillo blasted Charlie Brenneman with a right hand from Hades, securing what was, by far, the finest knockout of his career.
Baltimore fight fans instantly became the most spoiled observers in the world, and the night was only two fights deep into a stacked, 10-fight card.
From the time Castillo connected with his flush right hand until Jones connected with what felt like his 1,000th left elbow of the evening, the event maintained its hold of the audience’s attention. That’s not easy to do when we’re talking about a four-hour stretch that is heavily injected with alcohol, adrenaline and testosterone.
Yet the crowd maintained its enthusiasm, and some particularly dedicated fans held out until after 2:30 a.m. ET, about the time media members trickled out of the venue (Are all of these doors chained? How do I get out of here?) and made their way home.
“Oh, man, it’s Glover Teixeira!” One fan told his two friends as a bald-headed man wearing a track suit and standing roughly 5’6″ emerged from the exit behind me.
“I told you he wouldn’t look too busted up after that!”
I didn’t have the heart to tell him it wasn’t Teixeira.
What it means moving forward
Jon Jones painted his masterpiece in blood at UFC 172.
While perfect one-shot knockouts from Beal and Castillo, a late guillotine victory by Max Holloway and Tim Elliott’s tap-dancing routine while being choked out by Joseph Benavidez set an impossibly high standard of fun and excitement for the night’s main event, the UFC champion made sure all the talk remained pointed his direction post-fight.
For five rounds, his brilliance was at an all-time high. Veteran savvy combined with an inherent athleticism and creativity left Teixeira a bloodied, broken mess, and the Brazilian was whisked out of the arena to a hospital without attending the post-fight presser (but an apparent lookalike lingered).
This after Teixeira fought arguably the best fight of his life, mind you.
MMA Fighting’s Luke Thomas pointed out during Dana White‘s scrum after the event that Teixeira fought up to his ceiling in this fight, adding that even that just wasn’t good enough, and the UFC president wholeheartedly agreed. Jones is simply a different level of great, and his victory was not earned through his opponent’s deficiencies but rather through his own superiority.
Now, as we move forward in 2014, Jones will face Swedish light heavyweight standout Alexander Gustafsson for a second time, potentially in Gustafsson’s home country, according to White.
Against Teixeira, Jones capably set the stage for this imminent matchup, effectively showing the world that he is still growing, still developing and still adding tools to his kit of destruction.
Maybe that phrase “dress for success” isn’t so crazy after all.
I’ll be right back. I need to go adjust my glasses…
UFC 172 provided a lot of excitement. The show opened with back-to-back knockouts and then gave us four submission victories throughout the night.
Even with all of those finishes, though, the move of the night belonged to UFC light heavyweight kingpin&…
UFC 172 provided a lot of excitement. The show opened with back-to-back knockouts and then gave us four submission victories throughout the night.
Even with all of those finishes, though, the move of the night belonged to UFC light heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones.
Within the first 90 seconds the fight, Jones contorted Glover Teixeira’s arm in a way that is rarely seen in MMA. He got an overhook and began to torque the arm. It looked painful, and we learned after the fight that it was.
Teixeira’s trainer, John Hackleman, confirmed that Teixeira hurt his shoulder from the move, per David St. Martin of MMAFighting.com. He has an MRI scheduled for Monday.
At the UFC 172 post-fight press conference, Jones talked about how he had always wanted to do the move in wrestling matches. However, it was inappropriate in that setting. In MMA, it is a legitimate technique:
That’s a move I’ve been doing since I was a little boy in wrestling. It was something you could never do to your wrestling partners, and it’s dirty in wrestling. But it’s always there when someone has the underhook and you have an overhook and you can just crank their arm.
Time will tell if the crank will have a lasting effect in MMA. We could see numerous fighters adopt the move, or we could see it fade away as a one-hit wonder.
But today, we look forward. While Jon Jones‘ victory over Glover Teixeira can only mean that a highly-anticipated rematch with Alexander Gustafsson is surely on the horizon (a rare instance of the MMA Gods actually granting us a wish with no strings attached *fingers crossed*), there are still several potential matchups worth discussing, so let’s see what the future holds for UFC 172’s biggest winners and losers…
Anthony Johnson: What can you say about “Rumble” that hasn’t already been said? He looked damn-near perfect against Phil Davis, shutting down the four-time NCAA Division I All-American’s takedown attempts with ease and making him look like even more of an amateur on the feet. After two rounds had passed, we were all left wondering how Davis was ever considered the favorite heading into this matchup, and when/if Johnson’s gas tank would expire. It never did, and in his first fight back in the UFC since 2012, Johnson firmly established himself as a top contender at 205 lbs.
Personally, I think “Rumble” should use this opportunity to finally call out GSP, but a match against the Ryan Bader-Rafael Cavalcante winner probably makes more sense from a logistical standpoint. Bader has become a weigh-station for future contenders over the years (and I say that with all due respect), so should he get past “Feijao” at UFC 174, he would make for a fine addition to Johnson’s highlight reel (again, with all due respect). And if Cavalcante emerges with the W, you’ve got yourself a slugfest for the ages right there.
But today, we look forward. While Jon Jones‘ victory over Glover Teixeira can only mean that a highly-anticipated rematch with Alexander Gustafsson is surely on the horizon (a rare instance of the MMA Gods actually granting us a wish with no strings attached *fingers crossed*), there are still several potential matchups worth discussing, so let’s see what the future holds for UFC 172′s biggest winners and losers…
Anthony Johnson: What can you say about “Rumble” that hasn’t already been said? He looked damn-near perfect against Phil Davis, shutting down the four-time NCAA Division I All-American’s takedown attempts with ease and making him look like even more of an amateur on the feet. After two rounds had passed, we were all left wondering how Davis was ever considered the favorite heading into this matchup, and when/if Johnson’s gas tank would expire. It never did, and in his first fight back in the UFC since 2012, Johnson firmly established himself as a top contender at 205 lbs.
Personally, I think “Rumble” should use this opportunity to finally call out GSP, but a match against the Ryan Bader-Rafael Cavalcante winner probably makes more sense from a logistical standpoint. Bader has become a weigh-station for future contenders over the years (and I say that with all due respect), so should he get past “Feijao” at UFC 174, he would make for a fine addition to Johnson’s highlight reel (again, with all due respect). And if Cavalcante emerges with the W, you’ve got yourself a slugfest for the ages right there.
Phil Davis: If there was one basic lesson that Davis should have taken away from his one-sided loss to Rashad Evans back at UFC on FOX 2, it’s that the first M in MMA stands for “mixed.” Some two years later, Davis’ striking remains underwhelming at best — a means to the end that is his wrestling — and simply won’t cut it against the well-rounded elites of the division moving forward. From the moment Johnson cut him open in the first round, Davis looked tentative, scared even, and pulled nearly every punch he threw out of the fear of a “Rumble” counterstrike. A harsh critique, maybe, but for a guy who completely overlooked Johnson and said he would “break Jon Jones like a cookie” when/if they ever met, Davis looked straight-up neutered last Saturday.
So where should he go from here? To Thailand for six-months minimum of Muay Thai training, for starters, and then a fight with Glover Teixeira. Davis may talk a good game, but a controversial win over Lyoto Machida and no one else has not exactly sold him as a top contender in our eyes. And what better way to prove that he can actually hang with the big dogs than by facing the guy who just took Jon Jones’ best shots for five rounds?
It’s sink or swim time for Davis as an MMA fighter, and if he wants to actually prove that he has more in his repertoire than some solid takedowns and a the occasional submission, a win over a power-puncher with exceptional takedown defense (a.k.a “an Anthony Johnson-type”) is the only way he can do so.
I know, how about Yoel Romero? “The Soldier of God” just dominated Brad Tavares at UFC on FOX 11, is 4-0 in the UFC, and couples a ridiculous grappling pedigree with some scary punching power. Any takers?
Jim Miller: Aside from being an endlessly entertaining fighter who’s damn near impossible to finish, Jim Miller is the kind of perennial top contender who absolutely clowns anyone ranked below him while lacking the ability to truly break into the upper-echelon of the division. In his past two fights, however, Miller has proven more than ever before that he is an aggressive opportunist who will look for the quick finish if he feels that he has his opponent hurt. Sound familiar?
There’s a reason Miller called out Donald Cerrone (and most of the lightweight division, but whatevs) in his post-fight interview, and it’s not just because they’re remarkably similar fighters. The fight is guaranteed to net either man at least one “Performance of the Night” bonus, and from a fan’s perspective, it would be an absolute thrill to watch.
Max Hollaway: After suffering a couple of tough defeats to Conor McGregor and Dennis Bermudez back in 2013, “Blessed” has bounced back with a pair of impressive, technical wins over Will Chope and Andre Fili in 2014. I was shocked to see Hollaway as the underdog heading into his fight with Fili last weekend, but moving forward, a fight with Cole Miller, who’s also riding a two-fight streak, sounds good to me. Simple.
Joseph Benavidez: In a division as small as flyweight, it pains me to say that Joseph Benavidez could find himself in Yushin Okami/Jon Fitch territory before too long. That is not to say that Benavidez is a quote unquote boring fighter (because he’s anything but), but with two losses to champion Demetrious Johnson including a quick KO defeat in their last meeting, there’s nowhere to really place Benavidez at 125 lbs. That he costs 40ish thousand to show (which is a lot in the UFC’s eyes) and currently serves the purpose of crushing potential contenders makes him a bit of a liability, to be honest, and if the UFC plans to continue cutting the Jake Shields’ of each division simply because they’ll never be at championship level again, Benavidez better pray for an interim-title opportunity to be thrown his way in the near future.
In the meantime, I dunno, a fight with John Lineker, maybe? “Hands of Ham Stone” is coming off a decision loss to current title challenger Ali Bagautinov that, go figure, he struggled to make weight for. It doesn’t make a ton of sense to pair up a guy coming off a win with another coming off a loss, but them are slim pickens in the flyweight division.
Do any of these matchups tickle your fancy, Potato Nation? Let us know in the comments section.
Third-ranked UFC light heavyweight Glover Teixeira doesn’t want to make excuses regarding his unanimous-decision loss to Jon Jones in their title fight at UFC 172. 
