UFC Fight Night Teixeira vs. Bader fight card primer: Glover Teixeira vs. Ryan Bader

Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

In the main event at UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Bader, two Light Heavyweights square off as Glover Teixeira (21-2 MMA; 4-0 UFC) takes on Ryan Bader (15-3 MMA; 8-3 UFC). The official UFC rankings have Teixeira as the #2 contender at Light Heavyweight. Bader is unranked, though personally I have him low in the top 10 and feel he merits a spot. UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Bader airs live from Brazil on Fox Sports 1 this Wednesday, September 4 with the main card starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

With this card taking place in Brazil, it’s clear that Teixeira is the A side of the match-up. With his big win streak, he is knocking on the door to title contention. Still, Bader is a worthy opponent. He’ll bring definite tools to the table, and will look to spoil Glover’s big Brazilian outing.

How do these two stack up?

Teixeira: 33 years old | 6’2″ | 76″ reach
Bader: 30 years old | 6’2″ | 74″ reach

What have these two done recently?

Teixeira: W – James Te Huna (Sub) | W – Quinton Jackson (UD) | Fabio Maldonado (TKO)
Bader: W – Vladimir Matyushenko (Sub) | L – Lyoto Machida (KO) | W – Quinton Jackson (UD)

How did these two get here?

Glover Teixeira has quickly been heralded as the next big thing in the UFC Light Heavyweight division – too quickly if you ask some. His record is impressive, with 19 straight wins and 4 impressive UFC showings. But he still has not had a crack at any of the division’s very top contenders. This should be something of a showcase fight for him if the hype is accurate. If not, Bader could prove the Teixeira doubters right with a big upset.

More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Bader

Ryan “Darth” Bader may have one of the worst nicknames in the UFC, but he is nonetheless a formidable opponent. A former TUF champion, Bader combines a very good wrestling game with big KO power. Three years ago he was undefeated and his fight with Jon Jones seemed to tell who could be the future of the division – since then, Bader has struggled and is just 3-3 in his last 6. The KO loss to Tito Ortiz will forever live in fans’ minds, but losses to Jones and Lyoto and far less troubling. This is Bader’s best chance to show that he could be a contender – we’ll see what he does with the shot.

Why should you care?

If Glover wins and wins big, it will be another key moment in the ascension of a new force in the division. If not, you’ll see that force derailed.