No. 3 light heavyweight Anthony Smith 33-14, 18 KOs, 12 SUBs will meet vetern Glover Teixeira 30-7, 17 KO,s 8 SUBs at UFC Fight Night 171 on Wednesday, May 13 at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. The card airs live starting at 9pm ET.
At 40 years old, Glover Teixeira is going strong. Though he’s at an age where every loss prompts whispers of retirement, we’ve got to credit Teixeira for bouncing back each time with significant wins. Case in point: after losing to Corey Anderson in 2018, he’s reeled off three straight wins against solid fighters in Karl Roberson, Ion Cutelaba and Nikita Krylov.
This Wednesday, the Brazilian looks to move back in title contention when he meets Anthony Smith. “Lionheart” is just one fight removed from a title match against Jon Jones - he submitted Alexander Gustafsson in June 2019 to bounce back from the lopsided title loss.
The win against Gustafsson was a big deal, not just because it got him back in the win column, but because it was his first win against a legit top 5 fighter. Prior to that, he rode wins over a fluky Oezdemir and aging fighters in Shogun Rua and Rashad Evans. Beating the Swede cemented his argument as a top contender.
While it’s unlikely that Teixeira would ever get a title shot, it’ll be interesting to see what the UFC plans for him if he does win. There’s a world where Teixeira becomes the guy you need to beat to fight for the title. The UFC odds at BookMaker.eu don’t think it’s likely, as they opened with Smith as a clear -170 favorite.
Let’s take a look at the online sportsbook and break down the best betting values. Live UFC betting is available if you want to bet on live lines.
Anthony Smith -170
Glover Teixeira +135
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision
Significant Striking Stats
Strikes landed per minute: Smith 3.19 / Teixeira 3.46
Striking accuracy: Smith 49% / Teixeira 43%
Strikes absorbed per minute: Smith 4.86 / Teixeira 3.91
Striking defense: Smith 43% / Teixeira 54%
Grappling Stats
Takedowns per 15 minutes: Smith 0.52 / Teixeira 2.09
Takedown accuracy: Smith 28% / Teixeira 40%
Takedown defense: Smith 50% / Teixeira 60%
Submissions per 15 minutes: Smith 0.52 / Teixeira 0.91
Teixeira has aged gracefully due to an extremely well-rounded skillset. He’s always had knockout power as an excellent boxer, but his grappling has really extended his career. Simply put, he can outbox ordinary strikers and outwrestle subpar grapplers. As a BJJ black belt, Teixeira has an excellent submission game that he sets up with his underrated wrestling.
Smith is a lethal finisher on both the feet and the mat. He’s a dynamic Muay Thai striker that attacks with all eight points, and his height and athleticism can be a lot to deal with. When it comes to grappling, Smith uses his long limbs well to find opportunistic finishes. Where Smith is weak is in his wrestling - he can be taken down and controlled, and doesn’t have the takedowns to impose his jiu-jitsu.
Age is going to be a factor here. While Teixeira has a ton of skill, it’s tough for him to hang against springy athletes. We can’t ignore the fact that Smith is a decade younger than his opponent, though he’s got more pro fights and has been knocked out more than twice as many times.
UFC Odds Pick: Smith to win at -170
Smith has found his groove at 205 pounds, and his win over Gustafsson is a big step to becoming a perennial contender. Glover is going to struggle finding his range, which will keep him from setting up his takedowns. Expect Smith to use his reach to rack up points and walk away with a decision win.
