Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. Glover
Teixeira refused to give in. The respected Brazilian veteran on Saturday likely cemented himself
as the No. 1 contender in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s light heavyweight division, as
he submitted Thiago
Santos with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their
UFC on ESPN 17 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. In his
first appearance since July 6, 2019, Santos (21-8, 13-7 UFC)
capitulated 1:49 into Round 3.
Teixeira (32-7, 15-5 UFC) walked through hellfire to secure one of
the most significant victories of his 39-fight career. Hurt on
multiple occasions, the former Shooto Brazil champion turned to his
takedowns, world-class grappling and destructive ground-and-pound
to neutralize another knockout-minded opponent. He dominated Santos
in the second round and cinched a rear-naked choke in the closing
seconds of the period. Only the bell could stop him.
Saved by the bell
@GloverTeixeira
almost had the finish!
#UFCVegas13 pic.twitter.com/VgAqGTBRes— UFC (@ufc)
November 8, 2020
Santos denied his countryman’s first takedown attempt of Round 3,
blasted him with a left hook, swoopped into top position and
applied some ground-and-pound of his own. Teixeira remained calm
under considerable duress, forced a scramble and eventually moved
back into top position, his countless hours of experience in the
cage and on the mat paying dividends yet again. By then, Santos was
out of gas. “Maretta” surrendered his back, and Teixeira
clamped down on the choke to prompt the tapout.
The 41-year-old Teixeira has recorded five straight victories, four
of them finishes.
Ageless Arlovski Upends Boser
American Top Team’s Andrei
Arlovski won for the third time in four outings, as he laid
claim to a forgettable unanimous decision over Tanner
Boser in the three-round heavyweight co-main event. All three
cageside judges scored it 29-28 for Arlovski (30-19, 19-13 UFC),
who continues to find new life beyond age 40.
Boser (19-7-1, 3-2 UFC) piled up points with leg kicks, but he
lacked the firepower he needed to seize control. Arlovski once
again struggled in the output and aggression departments. However,
when he landed, he did so with authority. He connected with a
spinning backfist at the end of the second round and planted a
right hand on Boser that sent the off-balance Canadian careening
backward into the cage. “The Bulldozer” did not appear to be hurt
by the impact of either shot, but in a fight that was pedestrian in
every sense of the word, the optics did nothing to bolster his case
on the scorecards.
Arlovski, who turns 42 in February, will head to his next
assignment on the heels of back-to-back victories.
Ascendent Barcelos Handles Taha
A free-flowing, multi-pronged offensive attack spurred former
Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion Raoni
Barcelos to a unanimous decision over Khalid
Taha in a three-round bantamweight barnburner. A short-notice
replacement for Jack Shore,
Barcelos (16-1, 5-0 UFC) swept the scorecards with 30-27 marks from
all three judges.
Despite being outgunned, Taha (13-3, 1-2 UFC) never stopped
returning fire. Barcelos took out the 2017 Rizin Fighting
Federation Bantamweight Grand Prix semifinalist’s base with
repeated kicks to the lower leg, mixed in stepping knees and fired
off one multi-punch volley after another across 15 wildly
entertaining minutes. He put Taha in real danger in Round 1, where
he delivered a takedown, achieved full mount and advanced to the
back before threatening with a rear-naked choke. Brutal
combinations to the head and legs allowed Barcelos to keep his nose
in front during the second and third rounds, even as his resilient
opponent did his best to counter those efforts.
Barcelos, 33, has won nine fights in a row.
Chikadze Kick Fells Krause-Simmons
Kings MMA’s Giga
Chikadze wiped out James
Krause-Simmons with a head kick and follow-up punches in the
first round of their featherweight feature. Krause-Simmons (7-3,
0-1 UFC) bowed out 3:51 into Round 3, his three-fight winning
streak having run its course.
Chikadze (12-2, 5-0 UFC) fought with patience and poise, as he took
time to size up the Octagon newcomer. In the second half of the
first round, he blasted Krause-Simmons with a body kick and
followed immediately with
a head kick that floored the Caged Aggression MMA champion
where he stood. Chikadze pursued him to the canvas and brought it
to a close with unanswered punches.
A rising star at 145 pounds, Chikadze has rattled off seven
consecutive victories.
Surging Yan Tops Gadelha
Crisp punching combinations, excellent takedown defense and stellar
work in the clinch carried Xiaonan Yan
to a unanimous decision over Claudia
Gadelha in a three-round women’s strawweight showcase. All
three cageside judges scored it 29-28 for Yan (13-1, 6-0 UFC), who
remains undefeated inside the Octagon.
Gadelha (18-5, 7-5 UFC) executed a pair of takedowns in the first
round but failed to consolidate them with damage or positional
control. Otherwise, her efforts proved ineffective. Yan utilized a
penetrating jab and paired it with two- and three-punch bursts in
the second and third rounds. More importantly, she managed to stay
upright and frustrated Gadelha in tie-ups along the fence.
The loss put an end to Gadelha’s modest two-fight winning
streak.
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