Capping off three UFC events inside of eight days, UFC Fight Night 28 marks the organization’s awaited return to Belo Horizonte, Brazil. With emphasis on the main event showdown between Glover Teixeira and Ryan Bader—a bout that could have t…
Capping off three UFC events inside of eight days, UFC Fight Night 28 marks the organization’s awaited return to Belo Horizonte, Brazil. With emphasis on the main event showdown between Glover Teixeira and Ryan Bader—a bout that could have title implications if Teixeira wins in a dominant fashion—this fight card marks the end of this recent MMA spree as we enter a few weeks of hibernation until UFC 165.
As a whole, Wednesday night’s fight card isn’t necessarily as action-packed as UFC 164 or Fight Night 26 were, but thanks to a pair of exciting fights scheduled to take place just before Teixeira vs. Bader, there’s plenty of reason to tune in.
Joseph Benavidez and Jussier Formiga will blaze around the Octagon just before Yushin Okami looks to stifle Ronaldo Souza’s renowned grappling skills with his own formidable ground game.
Thankfully, Bleacher Report has you covered with a breakdown for all the essential details for Wednesday night’s fight card.
Fight Night Belo: Teixeira vs Bader Preview
Fight Night 28 Key Stats
Glover Teixeira’s significant strike rate: 6.48 per minute
UFC Fight Night 28 is set to take place Wednesday in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
The event is headlined by a light heavyweight bout between Glover Teixeira and Ryan Bader. Both 205-pound fighters are near the top of their division and have long UFC careers…
UFC Fight Night 28 is set to take place Wednesday in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
The event is headlined by a light heavyweight bout between Glover Teixeira and Ryan Bader. Both 205-pound fighters are near the top of their division and have long UFC careers ahead of them.
Some UFC Fight Night 28 fighters are on a much shorter leash, though.
At least four competitors could be competing for their UFC lives on Wednesday. Here are the men whose jobs are on the line heading into UFC Fight Night 28.
The UFC keeps on rolling only days after Anthony Pettis dethroned Benson Henderson. At UFC 164 on Wednesday, Glover Teixeira will try to take a step closer to a title shot with a win over Ryan Bader.
Undefeated since joining the UFC roster just over a …
The UFC keeps on rolling only days after Anthony Pettis dethroned Benson Henderson. At UFC 164 on Wednesday, Glover Teixeira will try to take a step closer to a title shot with a win over Ryan Bader.
Undefeated since joining the UFC roster just over a year ago, Teixeira is already considered one of the light heavyweight division’s top contenders. Although he holds no wins over current top-10 light heavyweights, Teixeira has looked the part of a title threat both standing and on the ground.
Although he’s ranked much higher than his UFC Fight Night 28 adversary, Teixeira could be facing his toughest test to date in Bader. The former TUF winner sits just outside the top 10 right now, but wins over Quinton Jackson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira make him one of the better fighters in the 205-pound class.
While Teixeira and Bader will own the headlines heading into Wednesday’s fights, there are a number of interesting contests taking place at UFC Fight Night 28. Here are the most likely performance bonus winners from the upcoming fight card.
The 22 fighters competing at tomorrow night’s UFC Fight Night 28: Teixeira vs. Bader event at the Mineirinho Arena in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, will be hitting the scales this afternoon beginning at 3 p.m. ET / Noon PT. Watch all the staredowns and shoving live in the video player above; we’ll update the results after the jump when it’s over.
The 22 fighters competing at tomorrow night’s UFC Fight Night 28: Teixeira vs. Bader event at the Mineirinho Arena in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, will be hitting the scales this afternoon beginning at 3 p.m. ET / Noon PT. Watch all the staredowns and shoving live in the video player above; we’ll update the results after the jump when it’s over.
FOX SPORTS 1 MAIN CARD (7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT)
Glover Teixeira (206) vs. Ryan Bader (205)
Ronaldo Souza (186) vs. Yushin Okami (185)
Joseph Benavidez (126) vs. Jussier Formiga (126)
Piotr Hallmann (155) vs. Francisco Trinaldo (155)
Rafael Natal (185) vs. Tor Troeng (185)
Ali Bagautinov (125) vs. Marcos Vinicius (126)
FOX SPORTS 1 PRELIMS (5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT)
Felipe Arantes (146) vs. Edimilson Souza (146)
Ramiro Hernandez (135) vs. Lucas Martins (136)
Elias Silverio (169) vs. Joao Zeferino (170)
Ivan Jorge (169) vs. Keith Wisniewski (170)
FACEBOOK PRELIM (4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT)
Sean Spencer (171) vs. Yuri Villefort (170)
UFC Fight Night 28 features one of the most anticipated middleweight bouts of the year. No. 3-ranked Yushin Okami will meet No. 5-ranked Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.
Okami brings in a three-fight win streak. After getting back on the winning track with a TK…
UFC Fight Night 28 features one of the most anticipated middleweight bouts of the year. No. 3-ranked YushinOkami will meet No. 5-ranked Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.
Okami brings in a three-fight win streak. After getting back on the winning track with a TKO over Buddy Roberts, Okami has grabbed two decisions over top-level talent in Alan Belcher and Hector Lombard. A win over Jacare would move him back into a position to demand a title shot.
Jacare made an impactful UFC debut against Chris Camozzi to run his win streak to four. The swift submission created a buzz around him, and a win over Okami will move him into title contention as well.
This is a fun middleweight encounter with a lot on the line.
This is your head-to-toe breakdown heading into Wednesday night’s co-main event action.
For the last few years, whenever Joseph Benavidez woke up in the morning and walked out to his living room, one of the first things he saw everyday was a picture of a UFC title sitting on his mantel.
It was a visualization technique that Benavidez empl…
For the last few years, whenever Joseph Benavidez woke up in the morning and walked out to his living room, one of the first things he saw everyday was a picture of a UFC title sitting on his mantel.
It was a visualization technique that Benavidez employed because he so badly wanted to clasp the UFC gold, and it consumed his every waking moment.
For Benavidez, winning a UFC title was the culmination of a life’s work, and the payoff for every hour he’s spent in training, and each fight he’s won to be considered one of the best fighters in the world.
The first time he had a chance at a belt it was back in the WEC when he battled Dominick Cruz to a split decision in 2010. When he didn’t go home with the title that night, the desire to hold the gold became that much more important for Benavidez.
Two years later and Benavidez was now considered the best flyweight in the world, but he didn’t have the belt just yet, and as it turns out he wouldn’t claim that title either. Benavidez ultimately lost in his bid to claim the 125-pound championship when he lost another close decision to Demetrious Johnson last year at UFC 152.
Benavidez bounced back quickly.
He has now won his last two fights in a row, and as he stands at the ready for his next trip to the Octagon on Wednesday night to face former top ranked flyweight Jussier Formiga, there’s a lot on his mind as always, but the obsession about becoming champion no longer clouds his every thought.
“I feel like I never really left the title picture, even right after the Demetrious (Johnson) fight. I could have made a stink or whatever (about another shot), not that I would have got it, but I was in the picture,” Benavidez said. “After the Ian McCall fight I was definitely in the picture, probably could have gone for it, but it was just kind of my choice as a fighter and as an improving fighter and individual to really just not obsess over the title as much.
“I made the mistake of really obsessing over the title and when I was going to get it. At 135, fighting Dominick Cruz two times within a year, losing, and then no matter what I did after that, I could be ranked No. 2 in the world the whole time I was never going to get another title shot. With the (flyweight) division so new, I just wanted to see it develop, and I feel like I had just fought Mighty Mouse. That’s kind of the outlook I’ve took since that.”
When Benavidez wasn’t fighting for the gold, he was a completely different fighter.
He decimated opponents at both bantamweight and flyweight for several years, but that elusive gold strap somehow haunted him so much, that the obsession outweighed his performances and led to two defeats in two title fights.
Now, Benavidez isn’t saying that Cruz or Johnson didn’t deserve to get the nod in either fight, or that they weren’t part of the reason he lost, but the desire to become champion overwrought his mind to the point where he was no longer having fun and enjoying himself in the cage during those fights.
As Benavidez enters his third fight since losing in the title bout against Johnson, he’s realizing there’s much more to life than just winning the UFC gold. Benavidez forced himself to look at the bigger picture when it comes his happiness, and he has a lot to be thankful for, even if he can’t say he’s a UFC champion.
“It’s really an outlook I’ve always had, except when I had the title fight,” Benavidez said. “It was like it was life or death when I was going in there fighting for the flyweight title. Now, it’s fun for me again, and doing what I love to do. I just need to remember even if I don’t get the title, I have an awesome life and an awesome family and friends.”
With a win on Wednesday night in Brazil, Benavidez realizes his name is going to come up again for the title shot and a rematch against Johnson.
He’s tactical in his approach these days when discussing the title because Benavidez knows the mistakes he’s made in the past, and those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Benavidez has never wavered when it came to his training or preparation for a fight, but now he’s got his mind in the right place when it comes to his standing in the sport, and what it means to be called “the best.” If the call comes after his next fight that he’s getting a title shot, it will definitely be special, but it will no longer saturate his mind with a single fixation of becoming champion.
“It looks like after this fight there aren’t many options left as far as the division goes,” Benavidez said. “It’s not something I could really say no to. After three wins, and I’m starting to feel a whole lot better, I’m improving every fight. So we’ll see what happens.”
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Capping off three UFC events inside of eight days, UFC Fight Night 28 marks the organization’s awaited return to Belo Horizonte, Brazil. With emphasis on the main event showdown between Glover Teixeira and Ryan Bader—a bout that could have title implications if Teixeira wins in a dominant fashion—this fight card marks the end of this recent MMA spree as we enter a few weeks of hibernation until UFC 165.