UFC Fight Night 109 results from last night: Alexander Gustafsson vs Glover Teixeira fight recap

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight elites Alexander Gustafsson and Glover Teixeira clashed yesterday (May 28, 2017) at UFC Fight Night 109 inside Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden.

For complete UFC “Stockholm” results and play-by-play click here.

There was a lot on the line for both athletes heading into this bout. Both fighters were ranked near the top of the division but have failed to impress as of late, which meant this performance was a chance to bounce back or slide further.

For Gustafsson, it was also a chance at redemption. His last attempt to headline in Stockholm ended disastrously in the only knockout loss of his career, so Gustafsson was motivated to earn a different result. Meanwhile, Teixeira was coming to the end of his fight career and hoped to make one last run at the belt.

Gustafsson opened the bout with plenty of footwork. Teixeira still managed to get in deep on a shot and lift the Swede, but he ultimately couldn’t solidify the takedown. Back to his movement, Gustafsson began to find his range, bouncing forward with a successful uppercut and cross.

An eye poke brought a brief stoppage, but the referee/doctor did not give Teixeira much time to recover. Regardless, the fight continued, and Gustafsson’s fast punches continued to find their target with remarkable accuracy. Teixeira proved his toughness by continuing the push forward, but he just couldn’t hit “The Mauler.”

It was a damn near perfect round from Alexander Gustafsson, who looked extremely sharp.

Gustafsson continued his assault on Teixeira’s well-being in the second round, making him miss frequently and landing stiff uppercuts at will. Teixeira had one strong flurry a couple minutes in, but Gustafsson responded with a spinning elbow and follow up series of right hands that nearly ended the bout.

Teixeira recovered, but he wasn’t able to do anything to throw off his foe’s rhythm. Whenever Teixeira managed to get into his preferred range, Gustafsson was able to turn and run back to the center.

That’s not necessarily an appealing move, but Gustafsson was beating the shit out of his foe through two rounds, so who am I to judge?

Teixeira really increased his aggression in the third round, but it quickly ran him into a devastating combination of uppercuts that sent Teixeira to the mat. The Brazilian was damn near dead, but he somehow recovered and used a half guard sweep to attempt a takedown. It allowed him to drive Gustafsson into the fence, where Teixeira was able to recover a bit before being taken down again.

Teixeira worked back to his feet, but the beating continued for the rest of the round, admittedly at a bit slower of a pace.

The fourth round was really more of the same, although Teixeira was never hurt quite as badly as in previous round. Gustafsson’s footwork along the outside allowed him to land hard kicks, spearing punches, elbows, and even some slick switch stance combinations.

It was a complete domination.

With five minutes remaining, Teixeira absolutely needed a finish but had taken so much damage it was hard to see it happening. He managed to land perhaps his best pair of punches early in the round, but it didn’t take long for Gustafsson to land another cracking uppercut. This one froze his foe in place, allowing Gustafsson to load up on a few more and really sit on his punches, sending his foe to the mat.

Gustafsson has never looked better. His MMA striking was beyond on point tonight, as he was fast, accurate, and devastating. He also utilized a great deal of different weapons, which quickly overwhelmed his opponent’s defenses.

For example, Gustafsson spent a great deal of time handfighting. While occupying his foe’s right hand with his left, Gustafsson would yank down and fire off quick left hooks, shoot a kick up the middle, slam home elbows, or snipe around his foe’s guard with his unoccupied right hand. He switched directions and stances, suddenly planting with crosses and uppercuts. Gustafsson even mixed wonderful level change feints into his offense, catching Teixeira off-guard by exploding up with a hard uppercut after touching his leg.

Gustafsson’s uppercuts were on another level in this match. Previously, they’ve been hit or miss, as Gustafsson would occasionally throw himself out of position in an attempt to land. In this match, however, Gustafsson timed them brilliantly as a counter and remained in good position to punch afterward.

Plus, he got engaged after the fight, so extra kudos to the Swede!

I didn’t expect to write this prior to the fight, but Gustafsson should face the winner of Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier. Gustafsson showcased the skills of a world-class fighter — to be frank, he fought like a world-class Welterweight — and deserves to be in immediate title contention.

This was a truly horrendous beating endured by Teixeira, who just did not have an answer for his opponent’s range or speed. More body shots may have helped, but frankly, it just wasn’t going to happen unless the picture-perfect single shot landed.

Teixeira showcased his toughness and heart but ultimately not much else. This may be his final fight, as he spoke about his career coming to a close. Following this devastating loss, it would be really hard to bounce back while still believing there’s a chance to win the title.

If that’s the case, Teixeira has accomplished a lot in a great career, and he proved to be one of the toughest ever in this defeat.

At UFC Fight Night 109, Alexander Gustafsson utterly dominated his opponent before finishing him in the fifth. Is the Swede worthy of the next title shot?

For complete UFC Fight Night 109 “Gustafsson vs Teixeira” results and play-by-play, click HERE!