[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] is coming home for a main event against Glover Teixeira.
Although he was born in Texas, Smith grew up in Nebraska City, Neb. UFC is headed to Lincoln on April 25 , with “Lionheart” set to battle [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag] in the headlining act.
Smith (32-14 MMA, 8-4 UFC) announced the card an his bout with Teixeira (30-7 MMA, 10-4 UFC) on Friday on ESPN2.
After he broke his hand against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC on ESPN+ 11 in June, Smith went under the knife just days later. However, the surgery proved unsuccessful. Shortly thereafter, Smith underwent a second surgery.
Doctors told Smith it would take approximately four months for his injury to heal completely. Right on cue, Smith is booked.
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Smith, 31, has won four out of his last five UFC bouts. In his most recent outing, Smith defeated perennial title contender Gustafsson by fourth-round submission. The victory placed Smith back in the win column after losing to Jones at UFC 235 in March.
Teixeira, 40, is riding a three-fight win streak. The Brazil-born Connecticut resident has defeated Karl Roberson, Ion Cutelaba, and Nikita Krylov.
Other fights announced for UFC Lincoln include Cynthia Calvillo vs. Antonina Shevchenko, un-retired Evan Dunham vs. Michael Johnson, Anthony Rocco Martin vs. David Zawada, and Zak Cummings vs. Andrew Sanchez.
UFC Lincoln takes place at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Broadcast information for the event is unknown at this time.
Geoff Neal is MMA Junkie’s 2019 “Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year” – and for good reason.
[autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag] is MMA Junkie’s 2019 “Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year” – and for good reason.
Fortis MMA welterweight Neal (13-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) had a monster 2019, defeating three difficult opponents in impressive fashion.
Neal’s year began sitting atop a 2-0 UFC record. At UFC on ESPN+ 1 in January, Neal kicked, punched, and outpointed a very tough Belal Muhammad en route to a dominant unanimous decision victory.
Six months later, Neal returned to the cage at UFC 240 in July. One month short of his 29th birthday, Neal took on Niko Price in a thrilling brawl. The two men traded barbs, before Neal eventually finished the Floridian with ground-and-pound in Round 2.
A win over a formidable opponent like Price set Neal up for an even bigger-name opponent in his final outing of the calendar year. In December at UFC 245, Neal made it three-for-three, and did so in short order.
Taking on fan-favorite “Platinum” Mike Perry in the final UFC pay-per-view of the year, Neal didn’t hold back. The Texas native landed a hard head kick, which wobbled Perry. From there, Neal didn’t let Perry off the hook. Instead, Neal swarmed and handed Perry his first career TKO loss at 1:30 of Round 1.
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What Neal did this year was nothing short of incredible. And while the general public is starting to take notice, he still isn’t quite getting the recognition he deserves.
All three of the opponents Neal faced this year were, and are, extremely difficult tests to pass. Muhammad, Price, and Perry are three of the UFC 170-pound division’s most violent. Since their respective fights with Neal, the trio has not lost a fight.
Expect 2020 to be a big year for Neal, who will almost certainly kick off the upcoming decade with a top-15 opponent. If his trajectory continues, we could see his name inserted into the title picture by the end of 2020.
2019 ‘Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year’ Honorable Mentions
[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag]
Charles Oliveira
2019 Record: 3-0 Win #1, Feb. 2: UFC on ESPN+ 2 vs. David Teymur (submission via anaconda choke – Round 2, 0:55) Win #2, May 18: UFC on ESPN+ 10 vs. Nik Lentz (TKO via punches – Round 2, 2:21) Win #3, Nov. 16: UFC on ESPN+ 22 vs. Jared Gordon (knockout via punches – Round 1, 1:26)
[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag]
Cory Sandhagen
2019 Record: 3-0 Win #1, Jan. 19: UFC on ESPN+ 1 vs. Mario Bautista (submission via armbar – Round 1, 3:31) Win #2, April 27: UFC on ESPN+ 8 vs. John Lineker (via split decision) Win #3, Aug. 17: UFC 241 vs. Raphael Assuncao (via unanimous decision)
[autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag]
Glover Teixeira
2019 Record: 3-0 Win #1, Jan. 19: UFC on ESPN+ 1 vs. Karl Roberson (submission via arm-triangle choke – Round 1, 3:21) Win #2, April 27: UFC on ESPN+ 8 vs. Ion Cutelaba (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 2, 3:37) Win #3, Sept. 14: UFC on ESPN+ 16 vs. Nikita Krylov (via split decision)
[autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag]
Edmen Shahbazyan
2019 Record: 3-0 Win #1, March 2: UFC 235 vs. Charles Byrd (TKO via elbows and punches – Round 1, 0:38) Win #2, July 6: UFC 239 vs. Jack Marshman (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 1, 1:12) Win #3, Nov. 2: UFC 244 vs. Brad Tavares (knockout via head kick – Round 1, 2:27)
[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag]
Gilbert Burns
2019 Record: 3-0 Win #1, April 27: UFC on ESPN+ 8 vs. Mike Davis (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 2, 4:16) Win #2, Aug. 10: UFC on ESPN+ 14 vs. Aleksei Kunchenko (via unanimous decision) Win #3, Sept. 28: UFC on ESPN+ 18 vs. Gunnar Nelson (knockout via punches – Round 1, 1:26)
[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]
Irene Aldana
2019 Record: 3-1 Win #1, May 11: UFC 237 vs. Bethe Correia (submission via armbar – Round 3, 3:24) Loss, July 20: UFC on ESPN 4 vs. Raquel Pennington (via split decision) Win #2, Sept. 21: UFC on ESPN+ 17 vs. Vanessa Melo (via unanimous decision) Win #3, Dec. 14: UFC 245 vs. Jared Gordon (knockout via punch – Round 1, 4:51)
[autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag]
Emiliano Sordi
2019 Record: 5-0 Win #1, June 6: PFL Regular Season vs. Vinny Magalhaes (TKO via punches – Round 2, 2:45) Win #2, Aug. 8: PFL Regular Season vs. Bozigit Ataev (knockout via punches – Round 1, 1:23) Win #3, Oct. 31: PFL Playoffs vs. Sigi Pesaleli (TKO via strikes – Round 1, 1:13) Win #4, Oct. 31: PFL Playoffs vs. Bozigit Ataev (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 1, 4:26) Win #5, Dec. 31: PFL Final vs. Jordan Johnson (TKO via ground-and-pound – Round 1, 2:01)
[autotag]Patrick Mix[/autotag]
Patrick Mix
2019 Record: 4-0 Win #1, Feb. 23: KOTC vs. Turrell Galloway (via TKO – Round 1, 1:45) Win #2, June 14: Bellator 222 vs. Ricky Bandejas (submission via rear-naked choke – Round 1, 1:06) Win #3, Oct. 26: Bellator 232 (submission via Suloev stretch – Round 1, 3:49) Win #4, Dec. 31: RIZIN 20 vs. Yuki Motoya (submission via guillotine choke – Round 1, 1:36)
The lineups are set for Thursday’s Quintet Ultra team grappling event, and the opening matchups include a few intriguing contests.
The lineups are set for Thursday’s Quintet Ultra team grappling event, and the opening matchups include a few intriguing contests.
Weigh-ins for the event took place Wednesday at Red Rock Casino Resort in Las Vegas, with each five-member team expected to weigh-in under 950 pounds combined. That didn’t prove an issue, with Team WEC registering 947.2 pounds, Team Strikeforce just behind at 946.6 pounds, Team UFC at 942.2 pounds and Team PRIDE the smallest at 936.6 pounds.
Featuring a unique 5-on-5 team grappling concept where the winning grappler of each match stays on the mat, Quintet Ultra takes place Thursday at the same venue and streams live on UFC Fight Pass.
In the opening round of the tournament, Team UFC takes on Team PRIDE, while Team WEC vs. Team Strikeforce.
Team UFC will send out fast-rising bantamweight prospect [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] as their first representative, while Team PRIDE counters with former PRIDE lightweight champ [autotag]Takanori Gomi[/autotag].
On the other side of the bracket, Team WEC is starting with three-time UFC title challenger [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag], while Team Strikeforce opens with two-time K-1 HERO’s middleweight grand prix champion and former Titan FC lightweight champ [autotag]Gesias Cavalcante[/autotag], the man best known as “JZ.”
In each match, the winning grappler stays on to take on the next representative from the opposing team. In case of a draw, both fighters are eliminated.
The two winning teams from the opening round matchups meet in the finals to close out the night.
UFC vs. PRIDE vs. WEC vs. Strikeforce? The full rosters have been announced for Thursday’s event.
Who would have won a team battle between the UFC, PRIDE, WEC, and Strikeforce? Quintet is hopping in a time machine to take fans back to an era when this question could be answered.
On Thursday, one of the world’s most unique grappling tournaments will return with Quintet Ultra. The openweight elimination challenge takes place at Red Rock Casino Resort in Las Vegas and streams on UFC Fight Pass.
The event will see four teams compromised of five fighters – each team tied to a respective promotion. On Monday, full rosters and first-round team pairings were announced, with Team UFC taking on Team PRIDE and Team WEC vs. Team Strikeforce.
The teams are as follows:
Team UFC
[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] (captain): former UFC light heavyweight title challenger, current UFC light heavyweight contender, WSOF veteran
[autotag]Anthony Johnson[/autotag]: former UFC light heavyweight title challenger
[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: Dana White’s Contender Series signee, undefeated UFC bantamweight
[autotag]Clay Guida[/autotag]: 29-fight UFC veteran, current UFC lightweight
[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag]: current UFC lightweight/welterweight, second-degree black belt
Team PRIDE
[autotag]Kazushi Sakuraba[/autotag] (captain): UFC Hall of Famer, competed in 27 fights under the PRIDE banner, UFC Japan heavyweight tournament winner
[autotag]Takanori Gomi[/autotag]: PRIDE lightweight champion, Pride 2005 lightweight grand prix winner, UFC veteran
[autotag]Gregor Gracie[/autotag]: grappling world champion, ONE FC veteran, member of the storied Gracie family
[autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag]: former Bellator middleweight champion, Bellator Season 1 middleweight tournament winner, international judo federation gold medalist
[autotag]Yves Edwards[/autotag]: three-time PRIDE competitor, UFC and Strikeforce veteran, current PFL commentator
Team WEC
[autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] (captain): two-time UFC featherweight title challenger, most knockouts in UFC featherweight history (tied with Conor McGregor), two-time NCAA Division 1 All American
[autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag]: former UFC light heavyweight title challenger, current UFC light heavyweight contender, most submission victories in UFC light heavyweight history (tied with Jon Jones)
[autotag]Mark Munoz[/autotag]: two-time WEC competitor, 15-time UFC competitor, two-time NCAA division 1 All American
[autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag]: former UFC featherweight title challenger, former WEC title challenger, 11-time UFC/WEC bonus winner
[autotag]James Krause[/autotag]: two-time WEC competitor, current UFC welterweight, currently riding a six-fight win streak
[autotag]Gesias Cavalcante[/autotag]: two-time K-1 HERO’s middleweight grand prix champion, former Titan FC lightweight champion
[autotag]Renato Sobral[/autotag]: Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, former UFC light heavyweight title challenger
In addition to the team competition, Quintet Ultra will feature singles matches. [autotag]Gordon Ryan[/autotag] meets [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag], while Cynthia Calvillo takes on [autotag]Danielle Kelly[/autotag]. A prelims single match between [autotag]Craig Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Fredson Paixio[/autotag] also is set.
In fact, Anthony Smith can’t ever forget when Glover Teixeira helped him out during a difficult moment.
WASHINGTON – [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] is ready to get back in the octagon and has his eye on a fellow former UFC title challenger.
After defeating Alexander Gustafsson in June, Smith (32-14 MMA, 8-4 UFC) underwent multiple hand surgeries that have kept him out for the remainder of the year. While he’s been busy as an analyst for the UFC, Smith is eager to return to action.
There are only a few top-ranked light heavyweights available, and Smith would like to face [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag] next.
“I’ve really had my eye on the top five, but I think outside of the top five it’s a little shifty. It’s been moving around a lot, but I think Glover is available, so that’s someone that I would love to fight just because of who he is and what he’s done in this sport,” Smith told MMA Junkie.
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Smith made his UFC debut in 2013 in Brazil, where he suffered a first-round submission loss to Antonio Braga Neto via kneebar, a fight which left him pretty banged up.
Struggling to make his way through the airport, a young Smith recalls how Teixeira helped out during that hard time.
“Funny story: My UFC debut in Brazil, I blew my knee then got cut right after, so on my way back I was struggling with all my bags and a blown knee, and Glover actually helped me through the airport and translated for me and helped get me on the plane and stuff like that. So ever since then, I’ve always had this really – like, I was a nobody. He was a superstar, you know, so I’ve always had just a really big, just a lot of respect for him since then. So again, I’m not attacking anybody. I’m not picking on anybody. He’s just the next guy that may be available, and that’s how I do it. I’m not waiting on anybody.”
Years later, the two would share the same card in Hamburg, Germany, in 2018, when Smith took out Shogun Rua in the main event, and Teixeira (30-7 MMA, 13-5 UFC) lost a unanimous decision to Corey Anderson. Smith’s win was one of the biggest of his career, as he was able to snap the former UFC light heavyweight champion’s three-fight winning streak.
Later that night at the hotel bar, Smith said Teixeira respectfully approached him, expressing interest in fighting him. And while the fight didn’t end up materializing then, Smith thinks now would be a good time for them to throw down.
Preferably at the end of February or beginning of March.
“I would love to fight Glover. I think that he’s quietly amassed a winning streak over some super, super tough opponents that nobody else wants to fight, and I think he deserves the main event,” Smith said. “I don’t know. You know he had the main event against Gus that didn’t go his way, but I think it’s time that Glover gets another main event. I think he’s earned that, and I think he deserves it.”
A whole host of familiar faces will take to the mats when Quintet hits Las Vegas on UFC 245 fight week.
The UFC’s final pay-per-view card of 2019 is a suitably festive event, as UFC 245 on Dec. 14 features a stacked card with three title fights.
It will be a big enough week leading up to the show at T-Mobile Arena that other events of note are being planned for fight week in Las Vegas.
One of those is Quintet Ultra, a grappling show which will be held at Red Rock Casino on Dec. 12.
The 5-on-5 team grappling event, founded by UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Kazushi Sakuraba[/autotag], often features big-name mixed martial artists, and this card is no exception.
The company has announced the captains and a member of each of the four teams participating in the card. Team UFC will be lead by [autotag]Anthony Johnson[/autotag] and include [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]. Team PRIDE is anchored by Sakuraba and will include former champion [autotag]Takanori Gomi[/autotag]. Team Strikeforce features a pair of former champions in [autotag]Gilbert Melendez[/autotag] and [autotag]Jake Shields[/autotag]. And captaining Team WEC is [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag], and includes [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag].
Additionally, a super fight will be held between Gordon Ryan and one of the UFC’s finest heavyweight grapplers, the master of the Ezekiel choke, [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag].
More details on participating grapplers and team rosters will be revealed in the weeks to come. The card will stream live at 10 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass.
