The UFC returns to Hamburg with some of its hardest hitting big men. This is the second time that the UFC will hold and event in Hamburg, with the last one being UFC Fight Night 93 way back in September 2016.
UFC Fight Night 134 will be contested at the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany on July 22, 2018.
High stakes are on the line as Mauricio “Shogun” Rua faces Anthony Smith in the main event of UFC Fight Night 134 in Hamburg.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio”Shogun” Rua was left without an opponent after Volkan Oezdemir was pulled out from UFC Hamburg so that he could fight Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 227 next month. Thankfully, Anthony Smith accepted a late invite and agreed to take on Shogun on short notice.
This was just supposed to be another stay busy fight for the 36 year old Shogun but after Daniel Cormier announced that he would be willing to defend the 205 belt against Rua while waiting for Brock Lesnar to regain his USADA fighting eligibility, the stakes have been raised for this event.
Anthony Smith was desperately looking for a fight prior to getting booked to this event. Smith was asking to be part of UFC Lincoln in his adopted home state of Nebraska (he grew up near Lincoln) but didn’t get the call. Smith then went as far as saying that he was willing to fight at heavyweight just to get to fight before his hometown folks but still, he never got a call.
Now, Smith will get another opportunity to retire a legend. The Texas native is coming off a first round knockout over former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans last June. Evans retired after the defeat. No Smith has a chance to retire Shogun Rua and possibly get a title shot at 205 pounds.
Shogun has a very deep Muay Thai background and loves to exchange. He pushes a fast pace and uses his legs very well. Rua has one punch knockout power and he’s produced 20 knockouts in 25 wins. In recent fights, Shogun has somewhat abandoned his strengths and has preferred to fight on the ground, landing four total takedowns in his last three fights.
The problem with Shogun is that he hasn’t been active. He may be on a three fight winning streak but the Brazilian hasn’t fought since knocking out Gian Villante in March 2017. Rua suffered a shoulder injury and pulled out of a September 2017 bout with Ovince Saint Preux. Ring rust will be an interesting factor to watch out for.
This is only Smith’s second fight as a light heavyweight and he will be looking to add another former champion to his resume. After moving up in weight, there have been questions whether Smith belongs here beating Shogun could be the answer to those queries.
Lionheart has a three inch height edge over Rua but both have a 76 inch reach. Like Rua, Smith is a pressure fighter with heavy hands. But Smith isn’t just younger, he’s got a more versatile striking game. Lionheart is deceptively good in changing the range of his strikes and is good in making follow-up punches. He loves to fight on the inside and is dangerous after clinches with his knees and elbows.
With both fighters having an aggressive approach, it’s not hard to imagine that this one isn’t going the distance. Rua has shown a glass jaw as of late as he’s been knocked out in four out of his 10 losses including the last two. Rua is 36 and hasn’t fought in over a year, you’ve got to wonder where his timing is at.
No question, Rua still has that hammer punch that can knock out Smith but given their present state, I think the American is coming to his own and the Brazilian is on his way out. If Smith can avoid getting taken down or getting hit with Shogun’s best punches, he’s going to catch Rua with something big. Whether it’s from the clinch or during a firefight, Smith is going to end this early. We’re picking Smith to win and stop Shogun Rua.
Like Shogun Rua, Glover Teixeira had to deal with an opponent change. After Ilir Latifi pulled out with an undisclosed injury, Teixeira will now face fellow Top 10 light heavyweight Corey “Overtime” Anderson in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 134.
One time light heavyweight Glover Teixeira is looking for another crack at gold. At age 38, this may be Teixeira’s last run at that elusive world title. The current #3 ranked 205 pound fighter in the UFC challenged Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title at UFC 172 and lost a five round decision. Since then, he’s been just a mediocre 5-3 with his last two losses coming by way of knockout.
For a fighter known for his “hands of stone”, back to back knockout losses could signal the beginning of the end. But Teixeira is coming off a first round TKO win over Misha Cirkunov last December 2017 but since defeating Ovince Saint Preux in 2015, he’s not had a meaningful win inside the octagon.
Anderson was an undefeated newcomer when he won The Ultimate Fighter 19 light heavyweight tournament. But since that victory, he’s only won six of his ten UFC bouts, including just twice in his last five. He’s had impressive wins but Anderson has lost the big fights in his career. He will have an opportunity to change that at UFC Fight Night 134
Anderson is coming off a decision win over Patrick Cummins but prior to that victory, he suffered back to back knockout losses to Jimi Manuwa and Ovince Saint Preux. Overtime owns wins over the likes of Tom Lawlor, Fabio Maldonado and Jan Blachowicz.
Nicknamed as “Hands of Stone” Teixeira is a violent fighter who has finished 16 opponents. But not only does Teixeira excel with his punches, he is also a very underrated jiu-jitsu practitioner. Teixeira is also a powerful wrestler who has a fearsome ground and pound game when he’s on top.
The worry about Teixeira is in his mileage. He’s fought plenty of wars in the past and his body may no longer be what it used to be. Teixeira’s last two wars with Anthony Johnson and Alexander Gustafsson both ended in knockout losses. Teixeira may still have his hands of stone but he’s hit or miss nowadays.
While his overall skills have developed over the years, Anderson remains a wrestler at heart and his greatest asset is his conditioning. In his recent fights, Overtime has been able to mix his wrestling well with his kickboxing. Likewise, he’s shown a better understanding of range and in this fight, range will be important.
No question about Anderson’s conditioning but he doesn’t have the durability to stand and trade with Glover Teixeira. To keep Teixeira at a distance, Anderson must utilize his kicks and lead off with jabs. He will need to keep out of Glover’s coverage and establish a range where he can both land and avoid getting nailed with those hands of stone.
Anderson has the size advantage here: one inch in height and three inches in reach. He is also the younger and more conditioned fighter entering this bout. But he’s been stopped thrice in his career and is facing another power puncher. Teixeira may have aged and slowed (as if he was fast before) but remember that punching power doesn’t grow old or slows down.
This is a crossroad fight for both (even if Anderson is only 28 years old) Glover Teixeira’s losses have come against big names. He’s always come out victorious against fringe challengers. Teixeira is going to let Anderson feel his power at the start and the younger fighter will opt for the takedown. While trying to put Glover down, he’s going to get caught with something hard. We’re picking Glover Teixeira to win by stoppage.
Two heavyweight contenders are looking to return to the winning column as Marcin Tybura fights Stefan Struve in a three round heavyweight bout at UFC Fight Night 134.
Expectations were high on Marcin Tybura when he entered the UFC picture. The former M-1 Global Heavyweight champion and M-1 Global 2013 Grand Prix winner only had one loss when he first fought inside the octagon. He’s lost half of his first six UFC bouts and is looking to break out of a two fight losing streak.
Tybura is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Derrick Lewis where he controlled most of the fight. But he allowed the Black Beast to hang around and then was caught with something big that knocked him out.
Stefan Struve was considered a top prospect because of his size and striking ability. He has delivered some big wins. In fact, he holds a win over the recently dethroned UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. But every time Struve has had a big win, he’s followed it up with a disappointing performance.
Health issues have not helped him either. And while he’s come with a clean bill of health in the last couple of years, Struve has been terribly inconsistent. He’s lost five of his last eight bouts and will be looking to avoid a third straight defeat for the first time in his MMA career.
Marcin Tybura is a balanced fighter who has good ground and pound and has an impressive striking game. Although he lost to Derrick Lewis and Fabricio Werdum, Tybura landed a combined 220 strikes in both fights. He is also a well polished wrestler who can finish his opponents from the top with hard punches.
Tybura fights at a high tempo and loves to hunt for knockouts or submissions. Twelve out of his last fourteen wins have come via stoppage. Tybura has shown above average cardio for his weight class but in his last two fights against Top 5 contenders, he has looked inferior.
Struve is always a tough match-up for anybody because of his size. He’s 7-0 with an 84 inch reach that helps him launch his striking game. But just as polarizing as he is on his feet, Struve is a surprise on the ground. He has good wrestling skills and has a variety of submission moves that can surprise many opponents.
The Skyscraper has a solid kickboxing background and is you think you can get away with those long punches, wait till you get nailed with those very long legs. Of course being this big has its disadvantage and for Struve it’s in the fact that he’s a target that’s not hard to find.
Struve’s size advantage makes him a tantalizing pick. Against Tybura, he has a nine inch height advantage and a six inch reach edge. That’s too much, really. Having said that, Struve is going to land his strikes on his shorter foe and he’s going to have his moments on the mat.
But Struve has looked shaky recently. Against Tybura, Struve is facing an excellent finisher. Both are coming off losses but it’s Tybura who should be in better form. Struve is going to look clueless when Tybura applies the pressure. He is going to be too much for the Skyscraper. We’re picking Marcin Tybura to win this fight via knockout or TKO.
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