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UFC Fight Night 28: Teixeira vs. Bader Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More

Glover Teixeira seems to be next in line for a shot at the light heavyweight title, but he’ll have to knock off a perennial contender who is looking for another shot first. Ryan “Darth” Bader has been considered a top-flight fighter at 205 pounds for the past two years, but losses to Lyoto Machida, Tito Ortiz and Jon Jones have left him short of his goal to become champion.

In the main event of UFC Fight Night 28 from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, the two men will meet to see who takes a step forward and who has to go to the back of the line.

Bader vs. Teixeria is the main event, but there are five other fights on the main card and five preliminary bouts scheduled for the evening. Here’s a look at the complete card, predictions and viewing information.

Below the table is an in-depth prediction for the main event and co-featured bout pitting veteran Yushin “Thunder” Okami against UFC newcomer, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.

Jacare Will Steal Okami‘s Thunder

Jacare is one of the most exciting newcomers in the UFC. Though he’s had just one fight in Dana White‘s promotion, the 33-year-old is a well-known and respected mixed martial artist with a record of 18-3. He’s a marvelous submissions artist as evidenced by his victory over Chris Camozzi in his UFC debut in May.

Jacare slapped on the arm-triangle choke and defeated the rugged Camozzi en route to earning Submission of the Night honors.

His battle with veteran Yushin Okami should render another impressive win. Okami hasn’t always demonstrated the best stamina, and against a skilled grappler like Jacare, his conditioning will be tested. I’m betting Okami can’t keep up the pace and Jacare seizes the opportunity to earn his second straight submission victory.

The Dark Side Won’t Prevail in the Main Event

Forgive my Star Wars reference in the subheadline; I couldn’t resist. Bader looks the part of a champion. He’s a big, physical light heavyweight with toughness, power in his fists and a strong wrestling background, but he has always failed to get it done on the biggest stage.

His career is starting to look a lot like Michael Bisping‘s.

Both Bisping and Bader are well-respected competitors who haven’t taken advantage of their opportunities. Teixeira has been a wrecking ball for the last seven years, and he hasn’t lost any momentum since his UFC debut in May 2012.

He’s a skilled and powerful striker with a strong jiu-jitsu background. His combination of skills should be good enough to hand Bader yet another disappointing defeat.

Just for kicks, I created Teixeira on UFC Undisputed 3 and put him in a simulated bout against Bader to see who would come out on top. Teixeira’s ratings were based on his FightMetric.com statistics.

In the simulation, Bader knocked out Teixeira in the third round. It was a brutal, back-and-forth battle. Fans can only hope the real fight is as thrilling.

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UFC Fight Night 28: Ryan Bader vs. Glover Teixeira Simulated on UFC Undisputed 3

Sandwiched between the Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis super rematch at UFC 164 and Jon Jones’ battle with Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165, the Ryan Bader-Glover Teixeira scrap at UFC Fight Night 28 isn’t getting its due.
These two…

These two fighters are among the best at light heavyweight. I’m especially eager to see if Teixeira can continue to ascend up the rankings at 205 pounds. He hasn’t lost a fight in over eight years, and Bader has only lost to future Hall of Famers Lyoto Machida, Tito Ortiz and Jones.

This should be a good scrap, but I expect Teixeira to win by KO. Bader has shown the ability to knock off fighters who can’t handle his wrestling. Teixeira would definitely prefer to stand and trade, but his takedown defense is good enough to keep him from being manhandled by Bader.

In anticipation of the bout, I took to UFC Undisputed 3 again to simulate the fight. The game has a pretty expansive roster, though it will almost certainly be topped by the new EA Sports UFC due out in the spring—but Teixeira hadn’t quite made his mark in the UFC when the game was released.

That means I had to flex my create-a-fighter muscles to bring Teixeira to life in the game. I did the best I could recreating his face and body type. His stats are based on his career record, KOs, submissions and his stats at FightMetric.com.

The skill level for the simulation was set at Ultimate, and the stamina was set to Simulation. For those who are interested in watching the highlights of the fight, you can stop reading now.

If you just want to know the result, Bader won after a back-and-forth battle saw both men stunned and in trouble. A vicious counter left hand knocked Teixeira out cold in the third round.

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‘Jacare’ Souza Bigger, Stronger, Faster Going into Bout with Yushin Okami

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza has been an absolute nightmare inside the cage as of late.
The Brazilian submission ace has built an impressive run as he’s collected four consecutive victories, putting away all four opponents by way of finish. The former Strike…

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza has been an absolute nightmare inside the cage as of late.

The Brazilian submission ace has built an impressive run as he’s collected four consecutive victories, putting away all four opponents by way of finish. The former Strikeforce middleweight champion’s stock as a title contender in the UFC has risen over his two most recent showings as he’s made short work out of gritty-veterans Ed Herman and Chris Camozzi, respectively.

That being said, the 33-year-old’s next challenge will be his most difficult to date as he faces off with former title challenger, and apparent guardian to the upper-tier at 185-pounds, Yushin Okami on Wednesday night at Fight Night 28 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

“Thunder” has faced the cream of the crop at 185-pounds and has come out victorious in the large majority of those tilts. In most cases, the fighters who have defeated the Japanese veteran have gone on to earn title shots, while those who have come up short are often reshuffled back into the middleweight deck.

Souza is well aware of the history Okami has built inside the cage, but with the momentum of a four-fight winning streak at his back and feeling better than ever, “The Alligator” is ready to prove he belongs in the title conversation in the middleweight division.

“I feel like a giant,” Souza told Bleacher Report. “I’m ready for this challenge. I know he’s a tough guy from my division, but I’m ready to go. I’m ready to get in there and I can’t wait for the day. I have trained really hard for this fight. I feel very strong and I believe my jiu-jitsu and the power in my punches will make the difference.

“I believe a victory in this match will get me closer to the title, but we’ll see where it goes. I know that once I pass him, I’m definitely going to be closer.”

In addition to a co-main event slot on a UFC card against a high-profile opponent, Souza will also have the opportunity to once again compete in his home country. Prior to his most recent bout against Camozzi at UFC on FX 8 in May, it had been over five years since he had put his skills on display on his native soil.

With the bout against Okami, the surging contender will have another opportunity to fight in front of his countrymen.

“It is a huge responsibility to fight in front of the Brazilian fans,” Souza said. “At the same time, it is good because I’m not going to be fighting alone, I’ll be fighting with the entire crowd behind me, and they are going to make things more difficult for Okami.”

“Going into this fight I feel better, stronger and that my game has improved. I’m feeling way better than I did going into my last fight and way more prepared. I’m ready to go out there and show how much my game as evolved and how much of a better fighter I am than the last time people saw me.”

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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Yushin Okami Wants to ‘Smash’ Jacare Souza and Prove He’s the No. 1 Middleweight

It’s hard to imagine the No. 3 fighter in the world in any weight class flying under the radar, but that’s exactly where Yushin Okami finds himself as he heads into his next bout against Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza this Wednesday at UFC Fight Night 28.
Okam…

Okami has never been accused of being the flashiest fighter on the planet, and with a language barrier that once almost got him shot by Chael Sonnen’s mother, he’s not usually the one on television giving searing interviews and calling out opponents.

What Okami does do and has done almost better than any other middleweight over the last seven years in the UFC is win fights.

Okami‘s resume is littered with top-10 fighters, former champions and ranked contenders, so it’s somewhat mysterious, despite all these accolades and accomplishments, that he enters his fight against Souza as one of the biggest underdogs on the card.

Okami is currently listed as high as a +230-underdog to Souza, who will fight in the UFC for only the second time on Wednesday night.

“I have no idea why people are thinking that way,” Okami said when hearing about the odds. “I really do not care what people are talking about.

“I know that Jacare is a great athlete and a great fighter so he deserves that consideration. To me it’s a great honor to fight against such a great fighter.”

Whether the betting lines are for or against Okami, his job never changes. He’s faced other competitors that were highly regarded prospects touted as being ‘the next big thing,’ and more often times than not, after spending 15 minutes in the cage with him they were going back to the drawing board trying to figure out where it all went wrong.

Okami‘s powerful wrestling has suffocated more than a few fighters in the Octagon, but this time he’s facing one of the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners to ever step foot in the UFC. Okami is well aware of what Jacare does well, but that’s not going to change what he does to every opponent.

It generally ends with them on their back feeling a little humiliated after spending the entire fight trying to get away from Okami‘s iron-clad grip.

“Jacare is not just a jiu-jitsu fighter, he’s a specialist at jiu-jitsu,” Okami said. “I am really careful about how I fight him in the ground fight, but I’m not afraid of fighting him on the ground.”

As accomplished as he’s been in his UFC career, a victory in Brazil would put Okami on a four-fight win streak—something he’s never done before. While Okami lost in his only bid to win the UFC middleweight title back in 2011 when he lost to Anderson Silva at UFC 134, Okami is looking at the division with fresh eyes these days.

With Silva currently sitting as a challenger now instead of champion while Chris Weidman polishes the gold around his waist, Okami is ready to jump back into title contention starting on Wednesday night.

“Of course my goal is to become the top (fighter) in this division,” Okami said. “So, I’m not satisfied with my ranking right now. If I beat Jacare, it’s going to be a big step up for me to prove that I’m the No. 1 fighter in this division.

“By beating Jacare I’m going to be given that kind of right, but it’s not only important to win, but how I win the fight. Always, I’m going to fight whoever the UFC wants me to fight.”

Call it style points or call it the best way to be remembered, but just beating an opponent doesn’t always get a fighter’s name called when it comes time for fight night bonuses or getting the Internet buzzing after a performance. Okami is aware of that factor, as well, so he doesn’t just want to beat Jacare—he wants to annihilate him.

“I’m going to utilize all of my MMA techniques, and I’m going to wear him down and I’m going to smash him.”

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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Ryan Bader: Glover Teixeira Hype Is Justified but He Can Be Put Away

If you look at the odds heading into UFC Fight Night 28, it would appear on paper that former Ultimate Fighter winner Ryan Bader has no business being in the same cage as Glover Teixeira.
Currently, the experts in Las Vegas have Teixeira as a whopping …

If you look at the odds heading into UFC Fight Night 28, it would appear on paper that former Ultimate Fighter winner Ryan Bader has no business being in the same cage as Glover Teixeira.

Currently, the experts in Las Vegas have Teixeira as a whopping 440-point favorite over Bader, who comes in as the underdog at plus-350.

Now, it’s understandable on some level why Teixeira is the favorite—he’s undefeated in the UFC, on an incredible winning streak and has finished three out of his four opponents thus far by knockout or submission inside the first two rounds. He’s also the top pick to face the winner in the UFC 165 main event between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson.

If there is one glaring difference when looking at Teixeira’s record next to Bader‘s, it’s the fact that one of them has faced a laundry list of top-ten fighters and the other hasn’t taken on one yet in the UFC.

Throughout the course of his UFC career, Bader has faced some of the stiffest competition in the light heavyweight division and holds wins over fighters such as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as well as Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. There’s no denying the losses on his record, either, to guys like Lyoto Machida and Jon Jones, but he’s taken on every challenge the UFC has presented him with head on.

So Bader admits it’s a bit puzzling why Teixeira is coming into their bout as such a decided favorite, but it gives him plenty of bulletin board material to gain motivation as he heads into Wednesday night’s fight in Brazil.

“I love to be in this position to have everybody counting me out,” Bader said. “Everybody will be real surprised at the end of the night when I go out there and get the win, and it just makes a little bit sweeter.”

Teixeira definitely has a lot of talent, but there’s also no getting around the fact that Bader will be by far his toughest test to date thus far in the Octagon. Hype is a funny thing in mixed martial arts because it can build a fighter up to the greatest heights and then tear him down just as easily when things go awry.

Bader knows that feeling all too well.

“It comes with the territory. People bring stuff out, I remember people saying ‘you got dropped by Tito (Ortiz), you suck,’ and they don’t credit any of my other wins or that I’m 17-3. It comes with the territory,” Bader said. “It does kind of piss you off a little bit when everybody is counting you out. The fans are counting you out. Glover’s talking about his fight with (Jon) Jones. Jones is talking about his fight with Glover in the future, all that kind of stuff.”

Since Jones took over the light heavyweight division in 2011, there hasn’t been another fighter touted as highly as Teixeira since he made his UFC debut. As a longtime training partner of former UFC champion Chuck Liddell, Teixeira’s name has been heard for years, but he’s just now making a major push into the 205-pound rankings.

Thus far in his UFC career, Teixeira has been virtually flawless, but there are still some facets of his game that we haven’t seen yet. Bader wants to see just how good Teixeira really is and put him to the test in their fight.

“I think the hype is justified coming in, being undefeated and going on an 18-fight win streak. That’s hard to do regardless of anybody. He hasn’t fought the same caliber of guys that I have,” Bader said. “Four out of my last six fights have been champions or former champions, and I’ve fought consistent top-ten guys, and he hasn’t. My three losses that I do have are to champions.

“I do think I’m the toughest guy he’s fought. It’s a step up in competition, and I look to spoil his plans and everybody else’s plans for him. We do have a five-round fight here for the main event. I feel he does get a little tired sometimes, and he can be put away. We’ve seen him rocked before, and we’ve never seen him on his back either. I look to exploit all those in the fight.”

While all the discussion going into UFC Fight Night 28 seems to be about Teixeira’s path to a title shot, Bader is happy to sit back in the shadows and let the spotlight shine down on his opponent.

All the talk and all the publicity in the world don’t matter on fight night, and Bader is looking to jumpstart his own career back into title discussion if he can dispatch Teixeira on Wednesday night.

“I feel like I’ve hit my stride as a fighter too and put everything together,” Bader said. “We saw a little bit of that with (Jason) Brilz and Rampage (Jackson), I had a setback with (Lyoto) Machida, and it was a quick fight after with (Vladdy) Matyushenko when I got the submission. I didn’t really get to show too much.

“I feel like I’m hitting my stride and have everything really come together. I think this is the fight where I do make that statement that I’m getting better every fight that I’m out there. I’m getting smarter, I’m in better shape and with just more experience. I feel like this fight is the fight where I go out there and prove a lot of people wrong. A lot of people are counting me totally out of this fight. It will put me closer to where I want to be and where I deserve to be.”

If Bader needs any kind of inspiration, he needs to look no further than his good friend Chris Weidman, whom he has trained with in the past and also shares the same manager. Weidman went into his fight against former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva with much closer odds than Bader will have against Teixeira, but despite him being the popular pick going into the fight, there was no doubt Silva was the one most expected to walk out with the belt that night.

Bader‘s faith in Weidman never wavered, and he came through with one of the biggest knockouts in MMA history. Now it’s Bader‘s turn to upend the tables on Teixeira and put his own name back on the map as one of the best light heavyweights in the UFC.

“I know I can go out there and beat him. I know I’m doing the right training and all that. Being counted out is the best thing,” Bader said. “I remember when we were at (Chris) Weidman‘s and Anderson (Silva’s) fight, and we were all sitting there eating before we were walking into the fight, and we were with a bunch of friends, and we’re all picking Weidman. There was a highlight of Weidman and then of Anderson Silva, and a couple of the friends looked at each other and they were like ‘I don’t know if he can do it.’ Then he went out there and did it and it was huge.

“That’s what I want to do to Glover. I want to get in there and beat him. It shoots me up the rankings and start getting talked about, and that’s how you get a title shot eventually. It starts right here, and I’m in a good position to do it.”

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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UFC Fight Night 28: Teixeira vs. Bader Fight Card Betting Odds and Predictions

UFC Fight Night 28 caps off an extended fight week for the UFC. It started in Indianapolis last Wednesday, traveled through Milwaukee for the crowning of a new UFC Lightweight Champion and ends up in Belo Horizonte, Brazil for a top-10 light heavyweigh…

The main card features six bouts, and below are the odds and predictions for the fights.

Marcos Vinicius (+240) vs. Ali Bagautinov (-280)

Vinicius has not been inside the Octagon in 2013, but he will return to make his flyweight debut. Bagautinov makes his UFC debut after going on an eight-fight win streak.

This will be an interesting fight to open the card with. The 125-pound matchup will help the division continue to grow. The oddsmakers may not be giving Vinicius as much of a chance that he actually has in this battle.

However, I still side with Bagautinov. I don’t think he will get the stoppage in his UFC debut, but he will do enough to take the fight on the scorecards.

Rafael Natal (-260) vs. Tor Troeng (+220)

Troeng made a successful UFC debut against The Ultimate Fighter castmate Adam Cella at UFC on Fuel TV 9, but he will face an uphill battle in Brazil.

Natal is one of the more durable fighters in the division. He has fought better competition and often comes out on top. His UFC record is 4-2-1. Troeng is the type of fighter he will put against the fence, take down and grind on for three rounds.

Expect that to happen. Troeng will want to keep this standing, but it won’t happen. Natal gets his hand raised after the judges render their decision.

Francisco Trinaldo (-320) vs. Piotr Hallmann (+260)

Hallman enters the UFC with a nine-fight win streak, but he comes in against a red-hot Trinaldo.

This is an unfortunate matchup for the prospect. He could have been pitted against a lower-ranked lightweight to acclimate himself to the UFC before moving up the ladder, but instead he goes against a very good submission artist in his home country.

3-1 in the UFC, Trinaldo will most likely get his fourth win in exciting fashion. The former Jungle Fights Lightweight Champion will rack up his third straight submission finish. That will put him in the running for some bonus cash.

Joseph Benavidez (-525) vs. Jussier Formiga (+415)

The No. 1-ranked and No. 5-ranked flyweights take to the main card to do battle. Unfortunately, we are probably not going to get a competitive fight.

Formiga is a very good, fun flyweight. Benavidez is just that much better. Simply put.

After dropping the inaugural flyweight title tilt, Benavidez has returned with two straight wins. He defeated Ian McCall by decision, and he completely outclassed a tough Darren Uyenoyama. The fight against Formiga will look like the latter.

Formiga will want this fight on the ground, but he has little to no hope of getting it there. Benavidez will be able to dictate everything about this fight, and his improved striking will allow his power to shine through. He will finish Formiga in impressive fashion in the second round with strikes.

Yushin Okami (+225) vs. Jacare Souza (-265)

Okami had a brief two-fight losing streak, but he has since rebounded with three straight. The wins moved him all the way up to being the No. 3-ranked middleweight in the division. He will have his hands full in the co-main event on Wednesday.

Jacare is on a four-fight win streak, and his UFC debut could not have gone any better. It will be hard to replicate, as Okami is not Chris Camozzi.

This is, by far, the most intriguing bout on the card. Okami is a tough, durable and well-rounded middleweight. Jacare is a more athletic and more dynamic fighter overall. It will be interesting to see what Jacare‘s game plan is.

On the feet, Jacare has shown remarkable improvement throughout his career. His striking has looked scary at times. Okami is also skilled on the feet. His boxing is underrated. Okami‘s straight left can be a fight-ender if it hits its target.

Jacare‘s brilliance happens on the mat, but getting it there may be a problem against Okami. Also, Okami is no slouch in the defense department. This is a big test for Jacare, and if he passes he will jump into title contention.

Jacare is the rightful favorite entering this fight, but Okami‘s wrestling will be the difference. The Brazilian will be introduced to the upper echelon in the division with a grueling 15-minute battle against one of the largest, and strongest, in the division. Okami grinds this one out.

Glover Teixeira (-440) vs. Ryan Bader (+350)

At one time, Bader was in the top 10 of the division. However, a recent loss to Lyoto Machida, and Chael Sonnen moving up a weight class, has pushed Bader just outside of the rankings.

Teixeira, ranked No. 3, is on the brink of a title shot. A win against Bader and he is in line for the next shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.

Bader has solid wrestling and big power in his hands. That makes him a live dog in this fight. It will always give him a chance. Unfortunately for Bader, this is a fight that should highlight all Teixeira to make him look like the title contender that he is. It is a bad stylistic matchup for the Arizona State product.

Teixeira can hurt Bader on the feet, but he will finish with his third submission inside the UFC. It will be an impressive performance that announces Teixeira as the next title contender.

All odds courtesy of 5Dimes.com.

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