Glover Teixeira showed why he’s ranked fourth in the light heavyweight devision on Saturday when he finished ninth-ranked Patrick Cummins in the UFC Fight Night 77 co-main event in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Teixeira pressed the pace and kept the pressure on Cummins throughout the fight. Cummins, known for his world-class wrestling ability, was able to take Teixeira down four times in the opening round but was unable to keep him there. While he showed improved head movement and striking inside the clinch position, Cummins was outmatched by Teixeira on their feet.
Teixeira landed combinations, wobbling Cummins on a couple of occasions in the first round. In the closing seconds of the frame, Teixeira had Cummins hurt. He was unloading heavy shots as the round came to an end.
RELATED > UFC Sao Paulo: Belfort vs. Henderson 3 Full Results & Live Fight Analytics
Sensing a finish in sight, Teixeira came out aggressive in the second frame and put Cummins away 72 seconds later. He trapped Cummins along the fence and was landing clean punches when referee Herb Dean had seen enough and stepped in to stop the fight.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself for this fight. I lost the last time I fought in Brazil against another wrestler. He’s a great fighter, a tough fighter, but I knew that I could win and I needed to prove to myself that I could beat him,” said Teixeira following the TKO win.
“I saw that he was hurt and I knew that it was just a matter of time before I knocked him out in the second round,” he added.
The win put Teixeira on a two-fight winning streak. The former title contender hopes to work his way back into a title fight in the 205-pound division.
