Glover Teixeira (white trunks) has the advantage on the mat and can go blow-for-blow with James Te Huna standing as well. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)
The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada hosts UFC 160 Saturday night. The heavyweight title is up for grabs when champion Cain Velasquez (11-1) meets “Bigfoot” Antonio Silva (18-4) in the main event. “The Super Samoan” Mark Hunt (9-7) has been making a resurgence and hopes to keep it alive when he battles the former heavyweight king, “Cigano” Junior Dos Santos (15-2). “The Bully” Gray Maynard (11-1-1) will test his mettle against TJ Grant (20-5) in a lightweight showdown with the victor earning the right to a title shot. KJ Noons (11-6) makes his Octagon debut as he is set to tango with “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone” (19-5). The card’s anchor, however, is a light heavyweight shoot-out between Glover Teixeira (20-2) and James Te Huna (16-5). Both men have been unstoppable in their recent outings, but one man’s rise to the top will take a slight dive when the cage door closes.
At First Glance: At the outskirts of contention, James Te Huna steps in for an injured “Darth” Ryan Bader (15-3) to take on the fast rising star, Glover Teixeira. Te Huna has secured a victory in four of his last five fights and is seemingly showing progress in each bout. With Bader out of the picture, he now finally has the chance to make the step up from prospect to contender provided he can withstand an opponent just as hard hitting as himself. Teixeira has garnered much praise with many citing him as the next big thing to challenge for the 205lbs. title. The praise doesn’t come spared from criticism as many still say the Brazilian has yet to be truly tested despite two finishes in his three outings, one against former champion “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (32-11). Te Huna might not offer anything in terms of rankings but if he can shut down a fighter who packs a punch as strong as his, Teixeira would prove the hype behind him is deserved.
In Depth: In the realm of the stand-up war, there is no better match-up for fans than Te Huna and Teixeira. The Brazilian has only a handful of showings in the Octagon, but has turned heads easily thanks to his ability to pick opponents apart with relative ease with his striking. Not only precise, it is devastatingly powerful to where a doctor’s stoppage was warranted to save Fabio Maldonado (19-6) from any further damage. It might seem unfair that the same heavy-handed Te Huna has yet to earn as much attention as Teixeira despite being in the organization longer, but he will finally get his chance to break into the spotlight Saturday. The New Zealand native’s approach is the very thing that can trouble Teixeira. He’s got the athleticism and power to close distance and boasts impressive accuracy as well in his combinations. Te Huna’s also owns the wrestling and ability to reverse unfortunate positions on the ground. Unfortunately, Teixeira’s Jiu-Jitsu credentials suggest that he’s the superior ground fighter. Te Huna would have to keep constant pressure if he chooses to take Teixeira to the canvas but with four losses due to submission, lingering too long could call it an early night if he gives the slightest opening to capitalize on.
The Wild Card: As humble as Teixeira has been since his debut in the organization, the fact that he’s #4 in the UFC rankings and taking on a much lower-ranked opponent could play a role into how he views the match-up. Te Huna has battled in the division for years yet has only been reduced to fight rather mid-level fighters. If Teixeira adopts this viewpoint, he might overlook Te Huna and as is most often in these cases will pay dearly for it. Te Huna surely has the most to gain from the match-up and knows a victory could pull his stock up at Glover’s expense.
The Verdict: Te Huna can certainly deliver a fight no matter who he stands across from. As much as he can turn this match-up into a slugfest, Teixeira is able to match up well strike-for-strike and could easily overtake the fight once it hits the ground. Teixeira might not have much to gain off this victory, but he might be able to silence any naysayers who doubted his quick escalation to the top of the light heavyweight class. Teixeira via Submission (Rear Naked Choke), Round 2
