Matches to Make After UFC Fight Night ‘Gustafsson vs. Teixeira’
Alexander Gustafsson laid out his case, and it was a strong one.
In search of a third crack at the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight crown, the sweet-swinging Swede stopped Glover Teixeira with fifth-round punches in the UFC Fight Night 109 main event on Sunday at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm. Gustafsson brought it to an emphatic close 67 seconds into Round 5, as he buried the former Shooto Americas champion with three right uppercuts and a right hook.
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In the aftermath of UFC Fight Night “Gustafsson vs. Teixeira,” here are five matches that ought to be made:
Alexander Gustafsson vs. Jon Jones-Daniel Cormier winner: Gustafsson has rattled off back-to-back victories over Teixeira and Jan Blachowicz since suffering consecutive losses to Cormier and the recently retired Anthony Johnson in 2015. At 30, he remains a key figure in the UFC’s downtrodden light heavyweight division and owns a 10-4 mark in 14 appearances with the promotion, losing only to Jones, Cormier, Johnson and current Bellator MMA champion Phil Davis. Cormier will defend the undisputed light heavyweight title against Jones in a rematch at UFC 214 on July 29 in Anaheim, California.
Volkan Oezdemir vs. Jimi Manuwa: Perhaps the masses should have viewed Oezdemir’s upset of Ovince St. Preux more seriously. The Swiss contender backed up his Feb. 4 split decision over St. Preux with a far more scintillating performance, as he cut down the highly regarded Misha Cirkunov with punches in the co-main event. It was over in 28 seconds. Oezdemir has pieced together a four-fight winning streak since submitting to a Kelly Anundson neck crank at Bellator 115 in April 2014, emerging as an unlikely threat at 205 pounds. Manuwa last appeared at UFC Fight Night 107 on March 18, when he knocked out Corey Anderson at the O2 Arena in London.
Pedro Munhoz vs. Rob Font: Munhoz has taken the slow-and-stead-wins-the-race approach to contention in the bantamweight division. The former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion recorded his third straight win on the undercard, where he picked up a three-round unanimous decision over Damian Stasiak. Munhoz has compiled a 5-2 mark since arriving in the UFC a little more than two years ago, decision losses to Raphael Assuncao and Jimmie Rivera his only hiccups. Those two men own a cumulative .880 winning percentage. Font, who has won 12 of his last 13 bouts, dispatched Matt Schnell with a first-round knee strike and punches at “The Ultimate Fighter 24” Finale on Dec. 3.
Darren Till vs. Jordan Mein-Belal Muhammad winner: The undefeated Till returned from an extended layoff and made up for lost time, as he cruised to a unanimous decision over Jessin Ayari in a UFC Fight Pass prelim. It marked the confident 24-year-old prospect’s first appearance since he fought to a majority draw with Nicolas Dalby in October 2015 during which he suffered a significant shoulder injury. While Till fancies himself a future title contender at 170 pounds, he still has much to prove as he continues to develop. Mein and Muhammad will lock horns in a potential barnburner at UFC 213 on July 8.
Glover Teixeira vs. Mauricio Rua: Toughness could only carry Teixeira so far against Gustafsson, as a violent volley of uppercuts and a right hook foiled his plans in the fifth round of their headliner. The 37-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has piled up the miles during a long and successful career that stretches all the way back to June 2002, leading many to wonder how much he has left to give. Teixeira has been knocked out twice in his past three outings but does not figure to find much of a respite in a top-heavy 205-pound weight class. Rua, meanwhile, has enjoyed a resurgence of late, with consecutive wins over the aforementioned Anderson, Gian Villante and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
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