UFC Odds – Anthony Smith vs. Glover Teixeira
The UFC is putting the coronavirus into submission with a series of events taking place in Jacksonville. On Wednesday, UFC Fight Night is headlined by two former light heavyweight title challengers when Anthony “Lionheart” Smith (31-14) takes on Glover Teixeira (30-7). Both came up short in title fights against current champion Jon Jones and they are aching for another crack at the belt. Smith is coming off his most impressive victory, a submission over Alexander Gustafsson last June, and also has 10 years on his opponent. The main card at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena is schedule for 9 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN+. Betting on this fight is available here
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BookMaker.eu is offering odds for this and every fight on Wednesday’s card when you are ready to bet.
Anthony Smith -183
Glover Teixeira +145
Over 2.5 Rounds +100
Under 2.5 Rounds -130
Anthony Smith vs. Glover Teixeira Fight Preview
Smith has a number of fights on his resume but had never been considered a contender in the weight class until recently. The perception of him changed in his last five fights. He knocked out former light heavyweight champions Rashad Evans and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and got a submission over Volkan Oezdemir in a busy 2018 to earn a title shot.
Smith grappled with current belt holder Jones last March and was thoroughly beaten in a unanimous decision. However, Smith showed his moxie by going the distance and earned high praise as a result. It also appears as though he learned a few things in the octagon.
The follow up bout with Gustafsson cemented his status at the top of the LHW class. His previous bouts were against fighters on the decline and losing to Jones, while impressively going the distance, was still a loss. Smith bounced back with a win over a legitimate top-5 fighter with a rear choke sub that sent the Swede into retirement.
With 18 KOs and 12 submission wins in his career, Smith knows how to finish. He attacks on his feet and has the strength and stamina to grapple with the best. However, his weakness is on the mat and that plays into the Teixeira’s strength. Staying off the floor is a point of emphasis for Smith. And with his athleticism and length he should keep his opponent at bay.
We don’t often see athletes in their forties excel at their sport, and cage fighting isn’t the game for your average quadragenarian. Teixeira isn’t average. He enters this fight on three-match winning streak with submissions over Karl Roberson and Ion Cutelaba, and a split decision against Nikita Krylov.
Teixeira had a title shot back in 2014 losing to Jones in a unanimous decision. It’s been a long road back for him but a win on Wednesday creates a lot of drama in the weight class. Tex can’t go toe-to-toe with Smith, that’s a losing strategy. He can use his age and experience in big fights to his advantage, though. Considering his age and longevity we haven’t seen a significant decline in his ability or skill set.
At this stage of his career we know what we’re getting from Teixeira. He has beaten such notables as Ovince St. Preux and former LHW champ Rashad Evans. But his last five losses have been to the upper crust of the 205 – Corey Anderson, Gustafsson, Anthony Johnson, Phil Davis and Jones. Beating another seems unlikely.
Bet Anthony Smith vs. Glover Teixeira at BookMaker
The only chance Teixeira has of winning this bout is getting Smith to the mat. Even that won’t be enough. Smith has improved his grappling and wrestling technique and won’t be lost if he goes down. And that’s a big if. With his physical stature it won’t be easy as he negates any advantage Teixeira might have. I really don’t see this fight being that competitive. Smith showed he’s ready for bigger things by beating Gustafsson and wants another crack at Jones. This won’t get him a rematch, but it’s another step toward the ultimate goal.
UFC Odds Pick: Anthony Smith / TKO / 3rd Round
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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com
