This Saturday the UFC will travel to São Paulo, Brazil in an event headlined by the rubber match between Dan Henderson and Vitor Belfort, but perhaps getting lost in the shuffle is the semi-main event match-up between Glover Teixeira and Patrick Cummins. While Henderson vs. Belfort seems to be getting the majority of the buildup from the UFC’s marketing team, Teixeira vs. Cummins seems to be getting virtually none; which is surprising for a match-up between two top ten contenders, one of whom recently fought for the world title. But even without ample buildup, this fight could be a crossroads fight in both men’s careers.
Cummins (currently ranked as the number 9 contender by UFC.com) made his foyer into the octagon last year after compiling a 4-0 record, and had the opportunity of a lifetime when he was chosen as a last minute replacement for an injured Rashad Evans to step in and fight undefeated top challenger, Daniel Cormier. Cummins was built by the UFC as a real life Rocky story, as a huge underdog challenger, quitting his job as a barista to get a chance to fight in the UFC. And then what happened was what would happen in any real-life Rocky story; Cummins got TKO’d in the first round.
Cummins stayed in the UFC following the loss to Cormier, and managed to put together a three-fight win streak, that earned him a fight against top prospect Ovince Saint Preux. Saint Preux had amassed an impressive 17-6 record heading into the fight with Cummins and was fresh off a first round TKO victory over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Cummins came up short against Saint Preux, but was impressive in his next fight with a third round TKO of Rafael Cavalcante, a win that earned him another big fight, this time against Teixeira.
Teixeira (ranked as the number 4 contender by UFC.com) had a very different path to the UFC. Teixeira made his debut as a highly touted fighter and Chuck Liddell student with a 17-2 record outside the octagon that included wins over UFC alumni Márcio Cruz and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez. Following his entrance into the UFC Teixeira stormed through the light heavyweight division with five consecutive wins before earning a title shot against Jon Jones. Though Jones proved too much for Teixeira, he was still consistently ranked in the top ten, and recently earned fight of the night honors for his submission win over Saint Preux.
So this takes us to this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 77, a fight that is truly a crossroads for both men, who need to establish themselves among the elite in the division. A win for Cummins would certainly be the biggest of his career and would likely put him in line for a rematch with Cormier, which he has recently expressed interest in. “I’m always cheering for him (Cormier) just because when it’s my turn to challenge for the belt,” Cummins says, “I want him to be on the other side so I can collect my revenge and the belt at the same time.”
Getting past Teixeira won’t be an easy task for Cummins, who comes in as a huge underdog in this fight, with some betting lines having Teixeira up to a -550 favorite. But that also means that this fight is a must win for Teixeira. A win over Cummins probably won’t earn him a title shot but it will cement his status as an elite Light Heavyweight; while a loss could be disastrous for his career. For Cummins, a victory over Teixeira could put him in line for a title shot, while a loss could be last big fight for him.
Patrick Cummins was a coffee barista before his UFC dreams came true Who knows? Maybe he has an upset win he’s about to brew
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) November 6, 2015
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