Glover Teixeira and Anthony Smith both hoped to keep their title dreams alive when they met in May 2020 at UFC Jacksonville. But after a five-round drubbing that left Smith’s veneers ajar, Teixeira was the light heavyweight on his way to a title shot.
Teixeira survived an early onslaught from Smith and rebounded to dominate the fight, repeatedly taking Smith down and landing a brutal series of punches in top position. So one-sided was the fight, there was controversy afterward over referee Jason Herzog’s decision to let the action continue, prompting what appeared to be an apology from the official.
In advance of Teixeira’s second chance at UFC gold, which comes against champ Jan Blachowicz at UFC 267, check out a full video of the performance that upped his winning streak to four bouts and paved the way for his title shot.
The full fight can be watched in the video above, courtesy of the UFC.