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UFC Vegas 13: Santos vs. Teixeira was somewhat of a mixed bag of a show in the end. Lacking the fanfare of the two UFC shows that preceded it, it still looked like a solid card on paper, and a couple of the fights were downright fantastic.
However, a bunch of slower fights and a distinct lack of finishes – we only got two on the five-fight main card – made this UFC show largely one to forget.
Here are the best and worst moments from UFC Vegas 13: Santos vs. Teixeira.
#1 Best: Teixeira once again shows he’s one of the UFC’s toughest fighters
Coming into last night’s show, veteran UFC Light Heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira was on a four-fight winning streak. And simply put, nobody could’ve claimed that the streak didn’t come without a fight. Teixeira’s wins over Karl Roberson, Ion Cutelaba, Nikita Krylov, and Anthony Smith saw the Brazilian wear a lot of punishment before somehow pulling through to victory.
His fight last night with Thiago Santos was no different. Santos – who pushed then-UFC champ Jon Jones to the limit in the summer of 2019 – came out wildly, throwing a ton of heavy strikes at Teixeira and had him badly hurt. Somehow, Teixeira weathered the storm, though, and won the first two rounds with his strong ground game.
The third round, though, saw Teixeira eat a huge left hand that sent him crashing to the ground. It looked like he’d be set to lose by KO for just the third time in his UFC career – but somehow, he was able to recover and then turned the tide again. Moments later, Teixeira’s hand was raised as he was able to secure a rear-naked choke and force Marreta to submit.
Will the win net Teixeira another shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight title? Probably not, as UFC President Dana White has reportedly booked current UFC Middleweight champ Israel Adesanya to fight Jan Blachowicz next.
However you look at it, though, Teixeira is still as legitimate a contender as it gets at 205lbs right now. And based on his recent showings, he might be the UFC’s toughest fighter. In terms of last night’s show, he was definitely the big winner.
#1 Worst: The disgusting visual in the Griffin/Brahimaj fight
Last week’s UFC show featured a downright scary injury suffered by newcomer Charlie Antiveros – the kind of injury that reminds fans how inherently dangerous MMA can be. Well, this week’s didn’t see any fighters taken away on a spineboard, but it did provide us with one of the most disgusting visuals in UFC history.
The preliminary fight between Max Griffin and Ramiz Brahimaj was, at first, largely forgettable. The two men largely exchanged strikes at a somewhat slow pace through the first two rounds, but the third saw Griffin increase things dramatically.
Max Pain had already opened up a cut around his opponent’s left eye, but much worse was to follow. An elbow from Griffin targeted Brahimaj’s already-injured ear, and suddenly, the appendage was left hanging off the newcomer’s head.
Referee Mark Smith immediately called a halt to the action when he spotted the damage. It was too late at that point – this was already, visually at least, the most disgusting injury in UFC history.
Credit has to go to Griffin for picking up the win, but like last week’s injury to Antiveros, this was the kind of thing that could put prospective MMA fighters off the sport.
#2 Best: Barcelos and Taha demonstrate the sheer depth of the UFC’s Bantamweight division
The debate about which UFC division has the deepest levels of talent has been raging on for years now. So which division is the deepest at the minute? Lightweight and Welterweight both have a claim, but for me, the most talent-packed weight class in the UFC is Bantamweight.
Not only can Bantamweight boast fighters like UFC champ Petr Yan and contenders like Aljamain Sterling and Cory Sandhagen, but last night proved that 135lbs has exceptional talent from top to bottom. The best fight on last night’s show – by some way – was the Bantamweight clash between Raoni Barcelos and Khalid Taha.
The two men – who were unranked prior to the show – went to war for all three rounds. Barcelos was always slightly ahead in all areas and clearly out-fought his opponent. However, Taha hung tough, was never overwhelmed, and managed to draw his Brazilian foe into wild trades at points that made the clash incredibly exciting.
In the end, Barcelos was awarded a unanimous decision. Given he’s now 5-0 in the UFC, it’s clearly time for him to make a step up. And judging on his skills last night, it’s a step he’s probably going to be capable of taking.
Barcelos can add his name to the long list of potential title contenders in an already-packed UFC Bantamweight division.
#2 Worst: Weird matchmaking mars Chikadze’s first UFC finish
Georgian Featherweight contender Giga Chikadze picked up his first UFC finish last night, taking out newcomer Jamey Simmons in the first round with a wicked head kick. It was probably the best finish on view at UFC Vegas 13. So why is it in the ‘Worst’ category here?
Simply put, this was a fight that should never have happened in the first place. Coming into last night’s show, Chikadze was 4-0 in the UFC and had looked better each and every time he’d fought. Why was he facing a newcomer in Simmons rather than climbing the ladder in the division?
It’s not like Simmons was a highly-touted prospect, either. The Afro Samurai came into the fight with a record of 7-3 and had probably earned a UFC opportunity – but against a top, experienced prospect like Chikadze?
If Simmons had been a late injury replacement for another fighter, then it would’ve been more understandable, but that doesn’t appear to have been the case. Instead, this was a rare piece of bizarre and potentially dangerous matchmaking from the UFC.
Hopefully, Simmons can face an opponent more suited to his level next time out, while Chikadze should be able to make the step up in competition that he’s earned.
#3 Best: Giles returns from serious health issues to pick up a big win
UFC veteran Trevin Giles hadn’t fought since February coming into last night’s show, and it was with good reason. Giles was supposed to face Kevin Holland back in August at UFC Vegas 5, only for a last-minute health issue to scrap the booking.
The health issue was actually pretty scary, as Giles fainted backstage, and reportedly, his heart even stopped at one point. While Giles made light of the incident in a recent interview, claiming it was just a “weird thing” and an “isolated incident,” it still must’ve been terrifying and could easily have led to him wishing to step away from the sport.
That’s why it was so impressive to see him put on arguably his best UFC showing to date last night. He picked Bevon Lewis apart, standing for three straight rounds, hitting him with some beautiful shots before putting him away midway through the final stanza.
The win was Giles’ second in a row in the UFC, and while he’s not likely to become a title contender at Middleweight, it was still great to see him return from such a frightening incident to pick up a victory.
