Smith vs Teixeira – what you need to know

Victory is calling

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^® returns with a bang as highly skilled contenders Anthony Smith and Glover Teixeira compete in an exciting main event match up. Both ranked light heavyweights have previously lost to Jon Jones and will be incentivised at the prospect of another title shot in the future.

Smith approaches the event with his focus fiercely on building a victory run following a superb submission win over Alexander Gustafsson. “Lionheart”, known for his resilience, has won eight of his twelve UFC bouts and will be confident of securing a victory against his Brazilian opponent and cement himself as one of the best in the division. Smith has come up against some of the greatest athletes in the light heavyweight division in recent times, posing incredible knockout power as his greatest strength.

The experienced Teixeira has been in sublime form of late, winning three on the bounce. A specialist in submission as well as knock out skills, he has recorded 10 finishes in 12 UFC victories and will be looking for the same result against his opponent. Teixeira has graced the Octagon with great success over the years, impressively climbing his way up the rankings. There is no doubt, Teixeira will bring his wealth of expertise and put on an outstanding performance. The question remains will it be enough for the Veteran to dominate the hungry lionheart, who equally craves the victory.

A Show for the Ages

Ben Rothwell takes on Ovince Saint Preux (OSP) In the co-main event tomorrow in a powerhouse match up.

Rothwell shot to fame following an electrifying victory, and even more electrifying post-fight dance, against Alistair Overeem in 2014. Despite winning four consecutive bouts between 2013 and 2016, Rothwell has lost three of his last four fights and will be determined to build upon an Impressive victory versus Stefan Struve in December.

OSP has forged a reputation as a true entertainer with an impressive resume of victories throughout this career. He will be making his debut at heavyweight having secured two wins and three losses in his last five fights at light heavyweight. With a formidable 80-Inch reach, OSP will look to land several significant strikes against an opponent who averages a 47 percent significant-strike defense rate.  His resume proves top finishes is his speciality.

Rising middleweights collide

Rising stars Karl Roberson and Marvin Vettori will be opening the main card in a middleweight bout.

At just 26 years old the young Italian Marvin Vettori has been making a name for himself as a bright prospect with his well-rounded skills. The Italian Dream’s last outing saw him defeat Andrew Sanchez in the third round. He also had a tough win against Cezar Ferreira something that his opponent Karl Roberson couldn’t manage.

However, Baby K is also coming off a strong win against Roman Kopylov who he defeated in third round via submission. Boasting strong kickboxing dominance and precision, it’s no wonder he has three victories in his last four bouts. This is set to be a close contest with both southpaw athletes coming off back to back wins but who will keep their winning streak alive?

Main Card

Anthony “Lionheart” Smith vs. Glover Teixeira

Ben Rothwell vs. Ovince Saint Preux

Alexander “The Great” Hernandez vs. Drew Dober

Ricky Simon vs. Ray “The Tazmexican Devil”Borg

Karl “Baby K” Roberson vs. Marvin “The Italian Dream” Vettori

Prelims

Andrei “The Pit Bull” Arlovski vs. Philipe “Monstro” Lins

Michael “The Menace” Johnson vs. Thiago Moises

Sijara “SarJ” Eubanks vs. Sarah “Cheesecake” Moras

Gabriel “Moggly” Benitez vs. Omar “Venezuelan Fighter” Morales

Hunter Azure vs. Brian “Boom” Kelleher

Chase “The Vanilla Gorilla” Sherman vs. “Hurricane” Ike Villanueva