Glover Teixeira’s superior grappling was the key to his victory against Ovince St. Preux at UFC Fight Night 73 tonight as he controlled him for large spells on the mat and eventually sunk in a fight-ending rear-naked choke mid-way through the third round.
Round One:
Teixeira looks for a punch early and eats a counter. Teixeira presses into a takedown, clinches against the cage briefly and then does manage to land it. He’s working from half guard now and already landing a little ground and pound, but OSP gets back to his feet.
Teixeira keeps a hold of him though and clinches back up against the cage. OSP lands a strike to the groin which forces a brief stoppage.
Back to it they go. OSP lands hard to the body with a kick and Teixeira staggers backwards. OSP chases after him thinking he’s hurt and Teixeira goes down under fire.
….
OSP with a kick, but Teixeira catches it and manages to get him to the mat. That’s big for him as he was in real trouble there. He takes OSP’s back and then is into full mount. What a turnaround of events! OSP gives up his back again. Teixeira thinking about the choke, but OSP manages to power back to his feet.
Again Teixeira is into the clinch against the cage, and again he manufactures a takedown. Teixeira back on OSP’s back now, but St. Preux manages a very nice reversal to end up on top and is quickly looking for a submission of his own. Teixeira patient though and then picks the right moment to boost back to his feet.
OSP pushing in and lands a few strikes in the closing stages of the round. An action-packed round!
Round Two:
Body kick from OSP. Then another. Nice left hook too as Teixeira come sforward. Yet again with the body kick and this time Teixeira counters with the takedown. OSP does well to get up quickly though.
Back to the striking they go and in there Teixeira lands nicely ot the body. The Nashville crowd is really behind their man OSP in this main event.
Teixeira hoists OSP up and downs him down purposefully to the mat. He’s working from half guard again now looking to land some ground and pound close the cage. Action stalling a little bit as OSP just tries to keep him locked down. Teixeira getting in the occasional elbow strike though while still maintaining good control with about two minutes of the round still to go.
A few left hands get through for Teixeira. Now he posures up a bit to drop down a series of elbow strikes. Better work from him and if nothing else he’s making OSP pretty uncomfortably down there.
OSP starting to work towards the cage though and uses that to wall walk back up to his feet. Teixeira still pressing him against the cage, but he does gett away with 10 seconds of the round remaining and then unloads a combination of punches to end the round. Teixeira smiles at him as they go back to their corners.
Round Three:
OSP just misses with a punch, but connects with a front kick to the midsection. Teixeira tries for a takedown, but was a little too obvious with it that time. He lands a few strikes though.
Takedown attempt from OSP doesn’t work out and Teixeira works around to his back and then takes him down instead. That familiar half guard position for the Brazilian now, but this time in the center of the Octagon. Left hooks landing for him from this position. Now it’s rights that are getting through. OSP’s not in danger of being stopped with this offense, but it’s gradually wearing him down.
Teixeira gets to full mount. He’s cautious at first but then starts landing some hard ground and pound. OSP doesn’t like that all and gives up his back to get away from it, but instantly Teixeira seizes on a deep rear-naked choke.
There doesn’t look to be any way OSP is getting out of this one, but perhaps due to the fact he’s fighting in front of his home fans St. Preux won’t tap and he gets put to sleep with of the third round gone.
