2. Glover Teixeira deserves his due
With my rant on Smith over, let’s turn attention to [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag], who is very much deserving of major props for his effort, despite it being somewhat overshadowed by the concerns for Smith.
At 40, Teixeira is now on a four-fight winning streak in the UFC light heavyweight division and is trending closer to a title shot than any point since coming up short against Jon Jones in his first title opportunity in April 2014.
After a rough first round, Teixeira turned the tables on Smith and was relentless until he finished the fight. There’s only a few in the division who can break Teixeira down to the point of getting him out before the final bell. Smith couldn’t, and that attribute is going to continue to carry the Brazilian through fights until it goes away.
The top of the light heavyweight division is already somewhat crowded with contenders such as Dominick Reyes, Jan Blachowicz and Thiago Santos, but Teixeira has now put himself in the mix. Only one person can get a title shot next, and although Teixeira is the least likely, he’s put himself in position to get matched up with whomever doesn’t challenge Jones next.
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