It was a fantastic evening in Abu Dhabi, especially because of the three main fights at UFC 267.
Brazilian fighter Glover Teixeira was proclaimed the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) light heavyweight champion against the Polish Jan Blachowicz in the UFC 267 event held this Saturday at the Etihad Arena in the United Arab Emirates.
Teixeira, at 42, gave the surprise by submitting Blachowicz in the second round and proclaiming himself champion in the 205-pound category. Russian Petr Yan was proclaimed interim bantamweight champion on the same card. Swede Khamzat Chimaev starred in the best performance of the night.
The one from Sobrália knew that he was facing the last opportunity of his career to immortalize his name and left no room for speculation. Aware of the power of the Pole, he knocked down the former champion and leaned on his game at the canvas to wet Blachowicz’s dynamite. The Brazilian had a plan and he executed it perfectly.
Teixeira, black belt in jiu-jitsu Brazilian, he sowed by transferring the contest to the ground and reaped its fruits by denying the virtues of the Pole from the beginning of the duel. He maintained control during the first round and, after Blachowicz’s attempts to keep his distance, he also shone in their brief exchange of foot punches.
Not only did he not shy away from the Pole but he connected forcefully to make his rival fall.
The Brazilian continued with the work on the ground and diminished to an overshot by hitting a Blachowicz hard, who signed his death sentence by turning his back on his rival. He could do nothing to prevent Teixeira from taking advantage of the position and finishing it through the gentle art of submission.
Glover, seven years after falling to American Jon Jones in his last title shot, lifted the light heavyweight belt. Teixeira becomes the oldest champion in modern UFC history at 42 years and 2 days.
Yan claims his throne at bantamweight
Russian Petr Yan defeated American Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision and was proclaimed interim champion of the bantamweight division. Yan, for many the uncrowned king of 135 pounds, already points to Aljamain Sterling, with whom he controversially lost the absolute belt by disqualification.
Yan took the center of the octagon early and Sandhagen sought to assert his wingspan to keep his distance from the explosive Russian fighter. The American looked agile and got more work, but the former champion was more forceful. True to their strengths, they both raised a war from the first to the last assault.
Sandhagen, more plastic and unpredictable than his rival, pressed, varied the shots, feigned and played with the changing of the guard to dismantle the former champion’s plan. In full growth the American Yan landed a spinning blow and a volley that put his rival in trouble and changed the trend of the duel in the third chapter. He grew up, shifted one more gear, and delved into the small gap in Sandhagen’s strategy.
Maximum equality at the end of the five rounds. The gunpowder was put by Yan and the volume by Sandhagen. The judges gave the Russian the winner by unanimous decision. It didn’t take long for the former 135-pound monarch to call Sterling and vindicate himself. “Everyone knows that I am the champion,” said the Russian.
Chimaev is a threat at welterweight
In the welterweight category, the Russian-born Swede Khamzat Chimaev, one of the company’s sensations, dazzled once again. He submitted the Chinese Li Jingliang, number 11 of the division, in the first chapter of the lawsuit. Badger rolled over. He landed 45 hits and received none. Chimaev allowed himself the luxury of picking up his rival and throwing him in front of UFC president Dana White, then finishing him off.
The native of Chechnya dispelled all doubts about his physical condition after spending more than a year in the dry dock as a result of the consequences suffered as a result of COVID-19. He even flirted with the possibility of retiring. Chimaev, holds an undefeated record of 9 wins.
Islam Makhachev slammed the lightweight table. The Russian stayed true to his style and developed the contest on the canvas. He took New Zealander Dan Hooker, who replaced the injured Rafael dos Anjos, to the ground and finished him off with a Kimura brace in the first round.
The commitment at heavyweight went a long way. Russian Alexander Volkov, fifth in the division, added enough dividends in the eyes of the judges to beat Pole Marcin Tybura. In the other commitment of the undercard at light heavyweight, his compatriot Magomed Ankalaev also defeated Swiss Volkan Oezdemir by unanimous decision.
Next Saturday, November 6, back in the United States, the UFC 268 function will take place at MSG Madison Square Garden in New York. That day the Ecuadorian Marlon Vera will go for a big victory against the American veteran Frankie Edgar (40 years) in a fight that was included in the main event.
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Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
