No. 11 light heavyweight Glover Teixeira (27-7, 17 KOs, 6 SUBs) will meet knockout artist Ion Cutelaba (14-3, 11 KOs, 2 SUBs) at UFC on ESPN 3 on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. The main card airs live on ESPN starting 9pm ET.
At age 39, Glover Teixeira is an old lion, but a dangerous one. Coming up on his 17th UFC appearance, Teixeira is a guy that held a top-10 position for years, fought for the title, and added the scalps of notable guys like Ryan Bader, Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson to his resume.
Though Teixeira has been facing nothing but ranked fighters for the last 5 years, it’s clear that the end of his career is drawing near. During his current 2-3 slide, Teixeira looked helpless against elites in Anthony Johnson and Alexander Gustafsson. Wins over Jared Cannonier and Misha Cirkunov during this run proves that he’s still one of the better 205-pounders around, but that’s partly due to a shallow division.
This Saturday, the veteran meets Ion Cutelaba, a fighter 14 years his junior. Cutelaba has the onions to call himself “Hulk”, but he backs up the bravado with massive punching power. Though just 3-2 inside the octagon, Cutelaba comes into the bout on a 2-fight KO streak - and has the opportunity to earn the biggest win of his career.
Can Teixeira turn away another young gun, like he’s done so many times in the past? Or does Cutelaba speed up the end of the Brazilian’s career? Let’s check in with the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and get to the best online betting values. Remember, live UFC betting is also available on fight night to hedge your bets as well.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Glover Teixeira +105
Ion Cutelaba -130
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +230 / -320
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Teixeira 3.5 / Cutelaba 4.62
Accuracy: Teixeira 43% / Cutelaba 35%
Absorbed per minute: Teixeira 3.56 / Cutelaba 3.16
Defense: Teixeira 56% / Cutelaba 48%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Teixeira 2.16 / Cutelaba 1.95
Takedown accuracy: Teixeira 46% / Cutelaba 66%
Takedown defense: Teixeira 60% / Cutelaba 69%
Submission average: Teixeira 0.78 / Cutelaba 0
Bet this fight at BookMaker.eu now
Teixeira’s age negatively affects all of his existing skills. Luckily for him, his talents were considerable to begin with. Though he made his bones as brutal knockout artists, later on his career he showed that he could beat deficient grapplers with strong wrestling skills. He’s always been one of the more well-rounded fighters in the division, but declining athleticism and a fading chin has made him more vulnerable than ever.
The big storyline here is whether the old lion can handle a young tiger. Cutelaba is as aggressive as they come, blitzing opponents for quick finishes or happily engaging in back-and-forth brawls. It’s easy to overlook the fact that Cutelaba is a strong wrestler in his own right, averaging nearly 2 takedowns per 15 at a 70% clip.
At just 25 years old, it’s tough to see where Cutelaba’s ceiling is. He lost his UFC debut to Misha Cirkunov, and dropped a close decision to Jared Cannonier in 2016. Ironically, a career anywhere near as distinguished as Teixeira’s would be a win. He still has plenty of time and the benefit of a division bereft of young talent to do so.
UFC Odds Pick: Cutelaba to win at -130
This is a risky pick, especially since Glover is excellent at picking apart lesser-skilled opponents. But the guy is almost 40 - his skills cannot reliably overcome his physical decline anymore. Especially against a Hulk.
Bet Online: Fight doesn’t go to decision
Teixeira is extraordinarily tough, but two of his last three losses were savage knockouts. Johnson slept him in 13 seconds, while Gustafsson pieced him up for four rounds before finishing the job. At the same time, four of Teixeira’s five last wins came by way of finish, so he still takes guys out with regularity.
Bet on UFC on ESPN 3 odds at BookMaker.eu
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today. UFC on ESPN 3 takes place on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. The main card airs live on ESPN starting 9pm ET.
