UFC: Anthony Smiths teeth fall out in fifth-round TKO upset at the hands of Glover Teixeira
It could, and perhaps should, have been stopped earlier, if not by Herzog then by Smith’s corner. The 31-year-old looked defeated on his stool after the fourth round, complaining that “my teeth are falling out” – he had just casually handed some to Herzog a couple of minutes earlier, while taking shots on the ground. His team’s response? “All the fights we’ve had, we’re not losing this one.”
Former light heavyweight title challenger Smith had talked big before the fight about hunting down Jon Jones for the belt again, but he now faces a huge battle to bounce back from a devastating defeat.
For the No 8-ranked Teixeira, it was a huge step towards getting another crack himself at the 205-pound champion Jones. The UFC veteran is likely to rise high in the rankings next after the impressive victory over No 4 Smith.
“It's not how hard you hit, it’s how hard you get hit and keep coming forward, that's what it's about, baby,” Teixeira said in his post-fight interview with former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier in the Octagon.
“You're one of the guys [that's showing how it's done at this age],” he added. “But I love the challenge. You, Yoel Romero, those guys, keep fighting on the top. [I’m] going on another run for that title.”
The first round was briefly paused by Herzog after an inadvertent groin strike by Teixeira, who had caught Smith’s attention with a flurry of strikes against the fence which would set the tone for the rest of the fight.
Teixeira had Smith in trouble with a big combination of strikes in the second round but Smith saved himself with some smart head movement, and continued to repel his advancing opponent with front leg kicks to the body.
The fight then turned in the third round when Teixeira knocked Smith down with a clean shot. He tried to take the back, then got into side mount as he looked for Smith’s neck.
Smith could only cover up and try to hold his opponent’s arms as Teixeira suffocated him with pressure, alternating between ground and pound and submission attempts for a good three minutes.
Smith continued to show amazing resilience but Herzog was giving him a long leash while Teixeira remained patient and relaxed looking for the finish.
Smith managed to survive to the buzzer but Teixeira came straight out and rocked him again in round four. Smith started throwing elbows but Teixeira kept landing and got it to the ground again after Smith shot for a desperate single leg.
The rest of the round played out almost exactly the same as the third, with Smith just trying to hang on. Smith looked finished heading into the final round, with nothing left on the feet, and shot for a takedown again. Teixeira quickly took control on the ground once more before another flurry of strikes finally convinced Herzog to step in.
Teixeira helped a disconsolate Smith up to his feet afterwards and consoled him against the fence, before heading over to see a casually dressed UFC president Dana White.
“Did I get the performance of the night?” he asked. It was hard to deny him, and he did indeed get the extra us$50,000, along with Drew Dober, who got an impressive TKO against Alexander Hernandez earlier in the night.
“I go there believing it, win it or die, that’s what I do. I’m putting my heart on the line, my faith on the line, everything on the line, that’s what I do,” Teixeira added backstage.
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This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: ‘teeth falling out’ in fight night
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