UFC Fight Night 73: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux

UFC NASHVILLEUFC Nashville proved to be a very entertaining night filled With some stellar performances. Amanda Nunes earned “Performance of the Night” with a submission win over Sara McMann in the first round. Also, Marlon Vera earned a performance award for his submission win over Ramon Salazar. The entertaining main event between Glover Teixeira and Oliver Saint Preux was adjudged Fight of the night. Let's review the Main Card and look at the results of entire UFC Nashville:-Undercard:-Uriah Hall def. Oluwale Bamgbose via first-round TKO (2:32) Chris Camozzi def. Tom Watson via unanimous decision (29-27, 30-26, 29-27) Dustin Ortiz def. Willie Gates via third-round TKO (punches) (2:58) Frankie Saenz def. Sirwan Kakai via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 30-27) Jonathan Wilson def. Chris Dempsey via first-round KO (:50) Marlon Vera def. Roman Salazar via submission (triangle armbar) (R2, 2:15) Scott Holtzman def. Anthony Christodoulou via sub (rear-naked choke) (R3, 2:40) Main card:-

#1 Ray Borg vs. Geane Herrera

Borg wasted little time in establishing the course of this fight. After shooting in for a deep double-leg, he had no trouble scooping Herrera up for a take down and then swarming him from top position. Herrera proved to be a game opponent, despite spending almost the entire fight on his back. He fended off one choke attempt after another from Borg, and wore the damage from Borg’s ground-and-pound well.

He even fired back with a sharp elbow of his own in the final round, which split Borg’s face open and left him leaking blood all over the mat. Unfazed, Borg continued to dominate Herrera from top position and keeping him in a defensive mode until the final bell. Borg is a beast and a true blue chip prospect in UFC flyweight Division and at only 22 years old he is on his way to become a future title contender.

Ray Borg def. Geane Herrera via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

#2 Sara McMann vs. Amanda Nunes

Nunes hand raised after steamrolling McMann

Nunes once again put a stellar performance in Nashville as she completely destroyed Olympian Sara Mcmann in the very first round. Nunes imposed herself from the opening bell, landing a sharp punch combination that rocked McMann in the first few seconds of the fight. McMann threw few punch combinations to try and set up take downs, but Nunes’ takedown defense was on point. She stuffed every attempt that McMann sought and used her striking to counter.

Midway into the opening round, Nunes landed a three-punch combination that sent McMann to the canvas, and she immediately pounced. She took McMann’s back, softening her up with punches before flattening her out. McMann was forced to turn to her back to try and make something happen, but Nunes remained glued to her and sunk in a rear-naked choke that made the Olympian tap out immediately.

Amanda Nunes def. Sara McMann via submission (rear-naked choke) (2:53)

#3 Timothy Johnson vs. Jared Rosholt

As predicted this end up in a very dull affair with two fairly large unathletic heavyweight fighters in a wrestle fest. Rosholt stuck to his wrestling to get the win but Johnson fared better than most thought he would.

Jared Rosholt def. Timothy Johnson via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

#4 Sam Alvey vs. Derek Brunson

Brunson picked up his third win in a row with a blistering performance, stopping Sam Alvey with strikes, early in the first round. Brunson pressed the action early as he rushed across the Octagon and forced the clinch with Alvey against the cage and started unloading huge punches over his opponent's guard. Alvey continuously looked to grab the Muay Thai clinch behind Brunson's head to control his aggression and movement, but Brunson just blasted over the top with hard, heavy punches.

After a couple of exchanges, Brunson started to land repeated uppercuts through Alvey's defense and as he started to bob and weave away from the cage, it was obvious he was hurt. Brunson opened up another barrage of punches, and Alvey fell to the mat, where the former college wrestler followed and started to unload shots to the head. Alvey covered up, and the referee stopped the fight.

Derek Brunson def. Sam Alvey via first-round TKO (2:19)

#5 Beneil Dariush vs. Michael Johnson

The co-main event was a complete robbery. Dariush winning the fight via a split decision is one of the worst of all time. Johnson clearly won that fight. It was about as obvious as it can get. The first round was plainly Johnson’s, as he controlled the octagon, landed better shots and even dropped Dariush. In the second, Johnson's pressure game was working to perfection and he was out-landing Dariush. He also landed the harder shots.

Dariush did come back in the third, but I still feel MJ did enough to win that round also and the whole fight. He stuffed all seven of Dariush’s takedowns, landed more significant shots, outstruck him in all rounds and still lost the fight. The incompetency of MMA judges sometimes just leaves you speechless.

Beneil Dariush def. Michael Johnson via Split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

#6 Ovince Saint-Preux vs. Glover Teixeira

OSP was on a hot streak and was the favorite coming in to this fight in front of his hometown of Nashville against Brazilian opponent Glover Teixeira. Teixeira, who was fighting for relevancy in UFC LHW division turned to his ground game to upset OSP. Teixeira was facing a very game OSP and the power of "OSP" came into play early, as he dropped Teixeira with a brutal body kick, but the Brazilian survived and then used his formidable wresting to take the fight to the mat. Early in the fight Saint Preux had been able to get up fairly often whenever he was taken down by Teixeira, who clearly had the game plan to take the fight to the ground.

Saint Preux was fatigued heading into the second round, landing fewer punches and getting taken down more easily. The third round, however, proved to be too much for OSP, who couldn't keep off his back and seemed to be completely spent from fighting off takedown attempts in the previous rounds. Teixeira mounted once again, landing vicious ground and pound that seemed in danger of stopping the fight, Saint Preux rolled onto his stomach as he had done in the first round, but this time could not escape as the vice grip of Teixeira closed around his neck to get the submission.

UFC Fight Night 73: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux - review and results