Glover Teixeira chokes out Ion Cutelaba in 2nd round
Glover Teixeira capitalized on a slip and locked in a rear-naked choke to overcome a game Ion Cutelaba on the main card of UFC on ESPN+ at the BT&T Center in Sunrise, Florida.
Teixeira (29-7 MMA, 12-5 UFC) also overcame two illegal blows – one in the first round and another in the second round – to a downed fighter by Cutelaba (14-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) that referee Alan Abeles completely missed.
The fight saw both competitors land on each other during heavy exchanges, with Cutelaba getting the best of it more often in the first round, including a spinning back fist that hurt Teixeira.
The second round saw Teixeira start to turn the tide with pressure and powerful punching combinations, followed by a takedown that saw him pass to full mount and land vicious ground-and-pound.
The closing sequence saw Cutelaba slip during a clash in the middle of the cage, with Teixeira jumping on top and transitioning to the back for the finish.
After trading heavy shots, it’s the ground game of @gloverteixeira that seals the deal #UFCFtLauderdale pic.twitter.com/lopCPpy6C4
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 28, 2019
I felt great coming into this fight, I was really comfortable,” Teixeira said. “I was absorbing his shots, he was finding me with his punches in the first round. It took me a while to warm up and then I found myself. I only took a spinning elbow, it caught me and I slipped on a banana peel so to speak. I think it’s a privilege for me to be still out here and I’ll keep going. I’ve got to keep fighting, going to war. Let’s see what UFC will bring me next and I’ll go after another win. I said I would like to fight Corey Anderson, but I’ll face anyone.”
