“My teeth are falling out.” #UFCJAX pic.twitter.com/FPeJ9181j0
— UFC (@ufc) May 14, 2020
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At times it was hard to watch. Yet Anthony Smith continued to battle, perhaps to his detriment.
After absorbing copious amounts of punishment, Glover Teixeira was finally able to put Smith away with punches from mount 1:04 into the fifth round of their UFC Fight Night 171 headlining bout at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, on Wednesday night. Only time will tell what the long-term ramifications are for Smith’s longevity as a fighter, but it was clear he was hurting as he did all he could to survive against his Brazilian opponent.
More than a few observers called for Smith’s corner to call the fight before it ended. While UFC president Dana White didn’t go that far, he was surprised that “Lionheart” came off the stool for the final frame.
“First of all, Teixeira looked great. He’s in the best shape I’ve seen him in in a long time. Smith [was] tough, durable like we know he is,” White said on the ESPN+ post-fight show. “I thought the corner wouldn’t let him come out for the fifth round. He was spitting his teeth out.
“I’m no doctor, but I would bet anything he’s got a broken orbital. Every time he got hit, he would react to it and turn away. I thought his corner wouldn’t let him go out for the fifth.”
While Smith faded down the stretch, Teixiera looked rejuvenated in winning his fourth consecutive Octagon appearance. The 40-year-old former title challenger is proving to be a veteran who won’t be quietly fading into obscurity as Father Time does his work.
“He’s one of those guys, he’s like ‘Shogun.’ Every time you think he’s done, he actually comes back and wins the fight and looks good doing it,” White said. “He had a really good night tonight. Right when the fight started, I said, ‘Wow Teixeira looks good. He looks in the best shape I’ve seen him in in a while.’ He had abs tonight, looked lean and obviously had the cardio to go five rounds.”
As for the man himself, Teixeira credited a new training program in conjunction with the UFC Performance Institute. He also believes he can set a positive example for his fans.
“Negative people, I don’t listen, I don’t care what they say, they’re negative,” Teixeira said. “I want to show the positive fans what I’m all about. Heart, keep going forward, it’s like I said, it’s not how hard you get hit, it’s how hard you get hit and keep coming forward and pushing. Heart and want, when you want it that much, you get it. I go there believing it, win it or die, that’s what I do. I’m putting my heart on the line, my faith on the line, everything on the line, that’s what I do.”