With UFC 200 only a week away, the buzz is really starting to build around Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz’ Rematch. The hype around that fight is so big that in truth, it is overshadowing what is top to bottom a fantastic card. But far and above the biggest fight currently being overlooked is Glover Teixeira and Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson.
This fight is to decide the next #1 contender in the light heavyweight division. What with the untimely suspension of Jon Jones, the UFC 205 pound division needs a new challenger for Daniel Cormier. What makes this fight must see t.v. however, is not the title implications. It is the fact that everywhere they go, Rumble and Teixeira leave a trail of unconscious victims behind them.
Glover Teixeira: A Man Of Few Tools
The first thing to note about Glover Teixeira is that he hits as hard as anyone in the light heavyweight division. As a product of the same camp which produced UFC hall of famer Chuck Liddell, it is no surprise that Teixeira is known for his overhand right. What slips by a lot of people though is exactly what the purpose of his right hand is. For someone so famous for his right hand power, Teixeira is woefully inaccurate with it.
He will throw three or four to land one on any opponent who knows how to move. He constantly looks to dip his head to the left and toss that overhand over the top of his opponents jab, or to just barge in with a right cross.
Teixeira rarely jabs, and when he does he doesn’t build off it. He doesn’t follow up with power shots, he doesn’t throw it to draw a reaction. He merely jabs for the sake of jabbing. As such he lands his jab a good deal, but he never follows off it with any meaningful offence. That is the place of a jab in offensive boxing, to close the distance and open the door for bigger shots. What he uses instead of a jab to close the distance is his right hand. Every time his opponent jabs in the open, Teixeira looks to clatter that right hand over the top.
When he is leading, he will simply throw the right hand naked anyway. No set up, no feints, just straight to the right hand.
People don’t normally do this because rear hand punches are slower, more obvious punches that leaves you wide open to be hit. The opponent can either retreat and the right hand misses, stay and get hit, or avoid and look to counter. The reason Teixeira does this is because he wants to bait his opponents in to throwing back at him, so he can land his real money punch: the left hook.
The left hook has been dubbed by some boxing commentators as the ‘king of counter punches’. This is because if you are exchanging with an opponent, the left hand is closer and travels inside the path of a right hand. This means that when you exchange with a good hooker, chances are you’re getting dropped. Teixeira has earned most of his knockouts by showing his right hand and then catching his man with the left hook as they look to retaliate.
Anthony Johnson vs. Glover Teixeira: Don’t Blink
That really is the extent of Teixeira’s offence on the feet. His right hand may be famous, but it’s his left that brings home the bacon. He throws the odd high kick, he leads with an uppercut from time to time, but that’s about it. For the most part he will throw his right until his opponent throws back, then looks to close the door with his left hand. Fast and strong, good technique, very good accuracy, but repetitive.
Teixeira’s Ground game is similarly simplistic. If he gets on top, he will first look to step into half guard. Then he will either step over in to mount or stay in half guard if he is thwarted. Then it is a hard, accurate barrage of strikes until his opponent gives him an arm. Once he has an arm elevated, Teixeira sinks in his famous head and arm choke. If they turn their back, like Ovince Saint Preux, Teixeira will happily take a rear naked choke instead.
Pass to half guard, step over to mount, ground and pound, choke. The essence of Glover Teixeira BJJ in one sentence. Just like his striking, Teixeira’s grappling is a few techniques done to a very high level. We very rarely see Teixeira off his back, but he has shown a great ability to turtle and stand up from seemingly any position.
His wrestling follows the same pattern, high level technique, but only a few moves. If they shoot a takedown, grab a guillotine and squeeze until they tap or he can escape to the feet. If he wants the takedown, grab a single leg and immediately transition to a power double.
Rumble Johnson: A Different Kind Of Power
Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson may just be the scariest man in the UFC today. If you made a list of people you don’t want to get hit by, Rumble would be at the top.
While Teixeira is a man with a few high quality tools and good technique, Rumble likes to make fights messy. What makes Rumble so dangerous has always been his right hand. What sets him apart is the way he uses his left hand. There is more involved in striking than just punching and kicking. Where Rumble truly differentiates himself is his ability to unbalance his opponent.
It is clear from watching Rumble that he is a very hands-on fighter. He always has his left hand on his opponent, looking to keep them away from him so he can land his right. This technique is called ‘heeling’ in boxing, and in the sport of boxing it is illegal. In MMA however, holding an opponent at arms length is perfectly legal, and effective. An opponent can’t grapple while being forced to stand at arms length. Rumble is one of the best in MMA at using his left to create distance, then landing his right.
This technique also works to unbalance an opponent to keep them from effectively striking back or covering up. You will notice Rumble’s left hand all over Alexander Gustafsson in the below gif. This kept Gustafsson from tying up with Rumble, but also kept him pressed against the cage, unable to escape or counter effectively.
Against Lil Nog, Rumble’s left hand served to keep his head trapped in one spot so Rumble could land his uppercuts. You will notice Rumble throwing out his left to grab Nogueira’s right hand, to keep it wide so as to make room for the uppercut.
That is the secret to Rumble’s success. He is a phenomenally gifted power puncher, but he has the savvy to prevent guys from tying up when he hurts them. Where this hasn’t panned out has been against the better wrestlers who could get him down. After a round or two on the bottom, Rumble becomes a much less formidable foe.
The thing is shooting on Rumble is no easy feat, especially in the early going. As soon as Rumble senses a shot, the hands come down and he drives his hips straight to the mat. It’s an old school ‘sprawl-and-brawl’ type of tactic, but for someone as physically strong as he is it works.
The last thing about Rumble that draws attention is his deceptive flexibility. Not only can he throw high kicks, he does. A lot. Numerous fights in his career have seen an end via his left high kick, and for a big man he can get it up there pretty quick.
Final Thoughts:
This fight is definitely one to watch attentively. Both guys have come forward, knockout centered styles, and both throw hard from the get go. There is no safe path to victory for either man.
From Teixeira I would like to see him look for his grappling. as his top pressure is outstanding. If there is a blueprint to beating Rumble, it would be to get on top of him and wear him out. The problem is Teixeira’s takedowns have never been his strength and Rumble is so, so good at stuffing attempts in the open, especially early on. I don’t see Glover getting it down easy, and if he wants to he will have to mix it up.
His overhand right is actually a perfect weapon to use against Rumble, who always has his left hand out just waiting for a cross counter. Similarly the left hook could carry Teixeira if it becomes a dogfight, as Rumble traditionally keeps his right hand low. The danger is that when throwing his right Glover ducks his head to his left. In ducking left, he puts his head directly in the path of Rumbles right hand.
For Rumble the key to victory is distance. Teixeira will be looking to land his left hook, so holding him at arms length is essential in creating distance to defuse this. The left hook is such a good counter punch, because the arc is so short. In the open, it has a very limited range. If Rumble can avoid the big overhand and keep Teixeira at arms length, it becomes a much better fight for him.
This fight seems tailor built to provide a finish. It could be a sensational knockout or a grind-em-out submission/TKO, but it is hard to imagine this going to a decision. Both guys have both shown a propensity to wrestle in their most recent fights, but both have such good takedown defense that it is likely going to play out largely on the feet, and if it does it may just upstage the main event for best fight of the night, however long it may last.
