UFC 171 Fight Night: Smith vs. Teixeira Results

UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Smith - Main Card Recap

For the first time, MMA fans were blessed with a UFC event on a Wednesday night and it did not disappoint. The main event was contested between Glover Teixeira and Anthony Smith, a pair of light heavyweights, both looking for a second crack at the title. The main card was a blast from top to bottom with knockouts, submissions, and some shake-ups in the rankings.

Glover Texeira vs. Anthony Smith

From the very beginning of the main event, we saw very crisp striking from Anthony Smith. He wobbled Teixeira multiple times, but the wily veteran adjusted his head movement to avoid getting put away early. The blistering pace that Smith created early seemed to betray him in the second round as he appeared to slow down while Teixeira took over in the striking. By the third round, Smith was simply trying to survive, displaying outstanding defensive jiu-jitsu as Teixeira teed off and nearly finished the appropriately named “Lionheart” multiple times.

In the fourth round, things only got worse as Teixeira battered Smith further, likely scoring a second consecutive 10-8 round. Thankfully Teixeira managed to finish the fight quickly in the fifth round, forcing the referee to stop the fight after a barrage of strikes from mount. At 40 years old, Teixeira is right back in the title hunt at light heavyweight.

Ben Rothwell def. Ovince Saint Preux (Split Decision)

From the early goings of this heavyweight bout, it was clear that Ovince Saint Preux is a light heavyweight and that Ben Rothwell is the true heavyweight. OSP spent the entire first round and most of the second on the back foot pressed up against the cage. He appeared exhausted by the second round after defending a submission attempt and had trouble dealing with the power of Rothwell throughout the fight.

By the end of the second round, OSP began to find his counter shots but still found himself pressed against the fence by the heavier man for much of the fight. In the later goings of the fight, Saint Preux found some powerful counters that rocked and nearly dropped Rothwell, but they proved to not be enough. Rothwell took home a decision to make it two wins in a row.

Drew Dober def. Alexander Hernandez via TKO (Round 2)

In a highly anticipated matchup of powerful lightweights, fans got exactly what they signed up for. Hernandez used movement early to neutralize the power shots that Dober is known for. The striking was competitive early but eventually, the power of Dober proved to be more effective than the movement of Hernandez. After the fighters traded eye pokes, Dober took over for the remainder of the fight.

In the second round, the power of Dober clearly began to affect Hernandez. Hernandez bought himself some time with well-timed takedowns, but Dober repeatedly found his way back to the feet. Dober was able to effectively cut off the cage and land huge shots on the chin of an exhausted Hernandez until Herb Dean was forced to step in. We will likely see a ranking next to Drew Dober’s name next week while it is back to the drawing board for a young and talented Alexander Hernandez.

Ricky Simon def. Ray Borg (Split Decision)

Ray Borg made the switch back to bantamweight and was immediately handed a tough challenge in the form of Ricky Simon. The size and strength advantage for Simon was immediately evident as Simon had his way in the clinch, landing multiple takedowns in the first. Known for his scrambling ability, Borg popped up from each takedown but not before being controlled on the ground for significant periods of time.

In the third round, the hands of Borg looked great but it proved to be too little too late. Simon grabbed the clear decision win (no, I don’t know what the deal with the split was) and broke his two fight losing streak. This fight proved that Simon is a legitimate MMA wrestler in the bantamweight division and that Borg can maintain the power in his hands and create scrambles, even at the higher weight.

Andrei Arlovski def. Philipe Lins (Unanimous Decision)

We got our first look at last season’s PFL Heavyweight Champion, Philipe Lins when he took on former UFC Champion Andrei Arlovski. As a former light heavyweight, Lins was the smaller fighter but had the clear speed advantage through the first round. Lins peppered Arlovski with powerful shots to kick things off but that speed advantage waned in the second. After recovering from a horrific groin strike, Arlovski managed to keep the fight at distance and connect with his kicks and jab.

Again in the third, the veteran managed distance beautifully as the smaller fighter, Lins, struggled to connect with his punches. Arlovski threw the majority of his kicks in this fight from the southpaw stance which could have thrown off Lins who has trained and sparred with Arlovski in the past. After a strategic three rounds of striking, Arlovski came out with the unanimous decision win.

Thiago Moises def. Michael Johnson via Submission (Heel Hook; Round 2)

Seasoned veteran, Michael Johnson took on up and comer Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ace, Thiago Moises to kick off the main card. After stuffing a pair of takedowns, Michael Johnson started teeing off with his boxing. Known for his fast hands, Johnson was able to cut off the cage and pepper both the body and head of Moises who was barely able to throw, much less land, for the duration of the round.

Perhaps realizing that the fight was not going his way, Moises chose to force his grappling in round two by pulling guard. The Brazilian rolled for a leg immediately in round two, and quickly transitioned to a heel hook. Johnson failed to pull his knee out and was forced to tap, relinquishing his dominant start. Moises expressed a desire to fight Anthony Pettis while Johnson will likely have to take some time off as we know what heel hooks can do to one’s knee.