Photo Credit: MMA Fighting

Match Preview: UFC Fight Night – Santos vs Teixeira -11/7/2020

Another weekend is upon us, which means another night of fights are in order from the UFC Apex Center in Las Vegas.

Headlining UFC Fight Night on ESPN+ will be a light heavyweight showdown between two Brazilians. Thiago Santos (21-7 15 KOs) battles Glover Teixeira (31-7 18 KOs) in a showdown between two of the best fighters at 205lbs.

Both fighters are looking to get another title shot as both came up short in their attempts to dethrone the former champion, Jon Jones. But with Jan Blachowicz as the new champion (Jones vacated the title), there is new life in the division as a new champion brings out new challengers. They don’t get much tougher than Santos and Teixeira, both of whom have shown the ability to turn it on in an instant as they have combined for 33 KOs in their careers.

For Santos, this is his first step back in the octagon since his loss to Jones in July of 2019. A knee injury paired with COVID-19 has kept him out of action for over a year. Will the time off leave the Brazilian rusty? Or will he add more fuel to the fire as he looks for another shot at redemption? Santos, a former UFC middleweight contender, has tremendous hand speed to pair with his finishing power. His aggressive come-forward style is a tough matchup for anyone.

Given his extended time off, look for Santos to make a statement in this showing and stamp his name as next in line for a title shot.

At 41 years old, Teixeira may be one of the oldest not only in the division but on the entire UFC roster. But don’t let the age fool you. On a four-fight winning streak, the Brazilian has shown an ability to hold his own still and may have one more run left in him. While he may not have his opponent’s hand speed, Glover packs a mighty punch still while relying more on technique and combinations rather than brute force. Mix in his 2nd degree Black Belt in Jiu-Jitsu, Teixeira is one of the more well rounded and dangerous fighters to step in the octagon.

Ranked #1 (Santos) and #3 (Teixeira), respectively, it is almost certain that the winner of this bout will be assured a title shot at some point in the early portion of 2021. If this fight remains on its feet, look for Glover to use angles, set traps, and combinations, with a jab to offset the more aggressive Santos. Look to see how Santos chooses to attack again. He has been out of action for over a year, so he might need to knock the rust off and find his footing again before he gets going. This should be a fun main event as we look to see who’s next in line.

UFC Fight Night will surely be a fun event to watch as modern day gladiators step in the octagon to do battle.

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-Kalani Lua – Franchise Sports Media

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