Getty JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - MAY 13: Glover Teixeira (top) of Brazil fights Anthony Smith (bottom) of the United States in their Light Heavyweight bout during UFC Fight Night at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on May 13, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
On Wednesday night, there weren’t a plethora of finishes, but the fighters who did take the decision out of the judges’ hands made quite the impression.
Unfortunately, referee Jason Herzog and the cornermen for Anthony Smith didn’t make the right decision. They allowed their fighter to take a beating for two-plus rounds more than he should have.
Smith lost via fifth-round TKO to the resurgent Glover Teixeira in the main event, but the biggest story is how long this fight was allowed to continue. At one point, Smith could be heard saying his teeth were falling out. That seems like a good indication we should probably stop the fight, especially considering he had no chance to win.
Here was the finish:
Let’s take a look at every finish from UFC Fight Night 171 aka UFC Fight Night: Anthony Smith vs. Glover Teixeira.
Chase Sherman Smashes Ike Villanueva
The show opened with a bang. Chase Sherman made his return to the UFC with a second-round KO of Ike Villanueva. The latter was making his UFC debut, and it’s safe to say things didn’t go as planned.
Sherman is looking to make a splash at heavyweight. He may not be able to contend with the top guys in the division, but he looked a bit sharper in this fight than he has in the past. Perhaps his time with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has tightened his striking.
Villanueva showed quick hands, but overall, Sherman was just too big. I’d still like to see what he can do at light heavyweight, which is a more natural division for him.
Brian Kelleher Shocks Hunter Azure With Huge Left Hook
Coming into the fight, Brian Kelleher was the underdog against the previously undefeated Hunter Azure. However, the more experienced Kelleher seemed to drain Azure’s energy through an active first round, and that pressure opened up this huge left hook:
BOOM 💥
@brianboom135 just detonated at #UFCJax 😳
As you can see, the impact of the punch nearly put Azure’s chin on his left shoulder. The follow-up shot seemed to put Azure out, but the chances he was going to recover without it are slim. Still, Kelleher had to finish the fight because referee Jason Herzog hadn’t called an end to the bout.
After the win, Kelleher called out Sean O’Malley. Perhaps he’ll get what could be an interesting fight.
Thiago Moises Taps Out Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson is one heck of a striker, but his grappling, submission defense to be exact, has always been his biggest weakness. We saw this again on Wednesday in his loss against Thiago Moises:
Coming back after early adversity, @ThiagoMoisesMMA slaps on this submission with the quickness ⚡️ #UFCJax
Johnson was dominating the fight in the first round. Moises had no answers for Johnson’s stand-up game. Between the first and second rounds, Moises’ corner advised him to chase the takedown.
The Brazilian followed the instructions and quickly secured the win. Johnson wasted no time tapping out, and despite his wins over Tony Ferguson, Dustin Poirier, and Edson Barboza, his record is now down to 20-16. That’s not the best look.
Drew Dober Batters Alexander Hernandez
Don’t look now, but Drew Dober is going to be ranked in the Top 15 next week. On Wednesday night, he wore down Alexander Hernandez and earned the second-round TKO win. Here is a look at the finish:
WOW! @DrewDober seemingly connected on every punch in this finishing sequence 🤯 #UFCJax
Dober is on a three-fight win streak with a KO finish in each of those bouts. After the bout, he called out Paul Felder who was sitting Octagon side doing color commentary.
That would be a phenomenal fight that might end with a stoppage as well. Here is a look at all of the results from Wednesday’s card.
- Chase Sherman def. Ike Villanueva via TKO2
- Brian Kelleher def. Hunter Azure via TKO2
- Omar Morales def. Gabriel Benitez via UD (30-27, 29-28×2)
- Sijara Eubanks def. Sarah Moras via UD (30-27×2, 30-26)
- Thiago Moises def. Michael Johnson via SUB2
- Andrei Arlovski def. Philipe Lins via UD (30-27×2, 29-28)
- Ricky Simon def. Ray Borg via SD (29-28×2, 28-29)
- Drew Dober def. Alexander Hernandez via TKO2
- Ben Rothwell def. Ovince Saint Preux via SD