Prior to each UFC fight card, Jay Primetown takes a look at some of the key contests at each event. In the latest installment, we look ahead to the main event at UFC Fight Night 109 as Alexander Gustafsson returns to the Octagon to take on fellow Top 5 light heavyweight Glover Teixeira.
Alexander Gustafsson (Record: 17-4, -330 Favorite, Power Ranking: A)
The No. 1 ranked light heavyweight contender in the UFC rankings returns to the Octagon for the first time since beating Jan Blachowicz by decision in September 2016. Gustafsson has only lost three times in the last seven years. All three of those losses were to champions or recent title challengers.
The top Swedish mixed martial arts fighter has fought a who’s who of top light heavyweights. While he was unable to beat either of the top three light heavyweights, he showed he could go toe to toe with both Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones over 25 minutes. Gustafsson’s fight game starts with his length. At 6-foot-5 with a 79-inch reach, he’s second only to Jones in the division when it comes to length. Gustafsson has some of the best footwork in the division. He utilizes that footwork in combination with his excellent boxing. He has excellent hand speed and is arguably the best boxer in the division. He doesn’t have the power that most of the top light heavyweights have, but he makes up for it with his high work rate landing 4.12 significant strikes per minute. His ground game is certainly not his strength, but he has excellent takedown defense at 84 percent. In a combined 50 minutes in the cage with Cormier and Jones, he was only taken down twice.
Glover Teixeira (Record: 26-5, +270 Underdog, Power Ranking: B)
Brazil’s top light heavyweight Teixeira looks to get back into title contention with a win over Gustafsson. In Teixeira’s last appearance, he faced surging light heavyweight Jared Cannonier. He was able to limit Cannonier’s power and get back in the win column. It was Teixeira’s ninth UFC win.
The 37-year-old Brazilian has become one of the most consistent fighters in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. He’s amassed a 9-3 record in the UFC, with the losses only coming to top fighters. Teixeira has a pretty good stand-up game with a solid two punch combination. He also mixes in one of the better uppercut punches in MMA. At his advanced age, speed is not his forte. Teixeira needs to get inside and fight at close range. That is when he is at his best. Teixeira has opted to utilize grappling against strikers, but against more well-rounded opposition he tends to want to stand and strike. Teixiera is a proven finisher, with five of his six past wins coming inside the distance, including finishes over Ryan Bader, Rashad Evans and Ovince St. Preux.
Matchup
A fight that has gone completely under the radar this spring is Sunday’s main event clash between Gustafsson and Teixeira. With Jones still suspended, Gustafsson and Teixeira is a matchup of the top two challengers in the light heavyweight and a fight that had been a long time coming. Both fighters have some of the better offensive weapons in the division. Gustafsson is likely the most skilled boxer in the division while Teixeira has a nice combination of power and hand striking. This should be a pretty competitive contest overall and one I expect to stay standing for the majority of the bout. On the feet, it will come down to Gustafsson’s ability to maintain distance and control the fight with movement and his jab. Teixeira will want to cut off the cage and fight at close range inside of Gustafsson’s jab. I believe that will be difficult for the Brazilian to do for any sustained amount of time in this bout. Teixeira will have his moments in this bout, but Gustafsson is ultimately too skilled and moves too well to be out struck in this fight. With this fight in Sweden and the crowd behind “The Mauler,” any close round will go to Gustafsson. Teixeira is going to need a finish to win this fight, and that’s something I just don’t see happening here. Gustafsson opened as a -175 favorite, which was a great price if one were looking to back the Swede. The line has shot up beyond 3-to-1 and is now currently sitting -330 at Several Bookmakers. The Mauler is a deserved favorite in this one and someone I would recommend backing at any price under -300, but beyond that, it is a fight that I would pass on. The more intriguing line is over 2.5 rounds (-145). Given recent performances and a bit of a feeling-out process, I see this fight heading into the championship rounds.
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