Glover Teixeira and Fabio Maldonado will square off in the only Brazilian-on-Brazilian bout on UFC 153’s main card taking place Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro.
The winner of 16 consecutive fights, Glover Teixeira is one of the biggest up-and-coming names in MMA and possibly the most notable in the light heavyweight class. After making easy work of the lower circuits, he beat Kyle Kingsbury with a first-round submission in his first UFC fight in May. Maldonado is coming off two consecutive losses, one of them in a fight-of-the-night decision defeat to Kingsbury on June 4, 2011. He did have an impressive KO against James McSweeney before the Kingsbury loss, giving him a 1-2 mark in his three UFC bouts. The money on this fight keeps on pouring in on Teixeira, since he opened closer to -325. And even though he is the big name right now, Maldonado was in that same position just two years ago, having won 11 straight fights after his bout with McSweeney. A lot can change in a short period of time, and Maldonado still has heavy hands that can end a fight at any time. Play on MALDONADO and the help from the lines here.
The MMA Odds Breaker crew gives their fight predictions based on the opening lines for this bout:
Of Teixeira’s 18 career wins, 11 have been knockouts, five have been submissions and two by decision. Of his past nine fights—all wins—seven of them have ended in the first round, with just one decision in that span. Wrestling forms the base for much of his attack, but it also sets up his striking opportunities and chances to take opponents to the mat and use his Jiu Jitsu in search of a submission. The 32-year-old who fights out of Rio, stands 6-foot-2, one inch taller than his opponent.
Twelve of Maldonado’s 18 career wins have been knockouts, splitting the other six between submissions and decisions. His punching is his most dangerous asset as James McSweeney can attest to, as can a number of other fighters who have fallen from his powerful fists. Previously a boxer, those strikes make up the core of his approach, while he is also known for having a tough chin that lets him stick deep into fights. With his one-punch power, take him as such a heavy underdog
