Glover chokes out OSP in Music City

Published on Sunday, 8/9/15, at 1:04 a.m. Eastern.

Glover Texeira overcame a rough start to submit Ovince Saint Preux in the third round of Saturday’s main event in Nashville. Teixeira got battered by a violent barrage of strikes that had him bloodied and badly hurt early early in the first round.

However, Teixeira was able to catch a legkick to the body and take OSP down. He spent the rest of the opening stanza in top position. OSP was able to avoid heavy punishment for the most part, but his great chance at an early finish was lost.

In the second round, Teixeira was able to keep control by getting the fight to the ground where he was dominant. OSP was enjoying stand-up success again in the first minute of Round 3, only to inexplicably try for a takedown. That turned out to be a horrible decision, as Teixeira quickly took back control and scored another takedown.

From there, Teixeira worked for the rear-naked choke and was able to eventually get it. OSP refused to tap and referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy had to intervene when he went to sleep.

Teixeira cashed tickets as a super-short +105 underdog.

OSP fell to 6-2 in the UFC and clearly needs to change training camps. The only thing holding the power puncher is back is experience and more development of his mental game.

In the co-main event, we saw one of the worst decisions in mixed martial arts history. Michael Johnson used his speed, pressure and volume punching to easily win the first two rounds (on our card), yet Beniel Dariush inexplicably won a split decision over the fifth-ranked lightweight as a +130 underdog. Two judges had it 29-28 for Dariush, who looked stunned as if he had just hit the lottery upon getting his hand raised.

UFC President Dana White reacted to the decision with this tweet below.

OMFG!!!!!!!!! That is HORRIBLE!!! That why u can’t leave it to these judges!!!!!!!

— Dana White (@danawhite) August 9, 2015

Before Bruce Buffer announced the winner, Johnson was already miffed and baffled that Dariush was given the nod by one judge. Bettors like me who backed Johnson as a -160 favorite were left furiously ripping up a ticket that should’ve been a no-doubt winner.

Johnson’s first reaction was, “Get the fuck out of here!” In interviews afterward, though, he was a class act and appeared to be in decent spirits.

Although his four-fight winning streak was snapped and he fell to 8-5 in the UFC, he’ll remain in good standing in the 155-pound loop.

Other winners on the card included Amanda Nunes, Jared Rosholt, Derek Brunson, Uriah Hall and Chris Camozzi. Nunes earned a Performance of the Night bonus thanks to her first-round submission of Sara McMann.

**Octagon Nuggets**

–The main event between OSP and Glover was awarded Fight of the Night honors.

–OSP’s walk-out song was ‘Rocky Top.’

–Quote from Johnson at the post-fight presser: “Everybody knows I won that fight.”

–Hall has won four of his last five fights.

—Here’s a link to the post-fight presser over at MMA Junkie.

–Ross Pearson vs. Paul Felder has been added to the UFC 191 card. Both fighters are jumping back into the fray quickly after suffering losses in mid-July. This show will be on Sept. 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Felder was listed as a -305 ‘chalk’ at 5Dimes early this morning. Pearson is +225 on the comeback.

–Also on the UFC 191 card, I like Frank Mir as a +160 underdog to Andrei Arlovski in what’s expected to be the co-main event.

–I was surprised to see Matt Brown available as a +140 underdog vs. Kelvin Gastelum in a Fight Night main event scheduled for Nov. 21 in Monterrey, Mexico. Love Brown in this bout!

–The date and venue for Rafael dos Anjos’s first lightweight title defense hasn’t been announced yet. The opponent is known, however, as Dos Anjos has been tabbed as a -325 favorite vs. Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, who is a +250 underdog. Since losing a unanimous decision to RDA at UFC Fight Night 27 nearly two years ago, Cerrone has won eight straight fights.

–Rashad Evans is currently listed as a -160 favorite vs. Ryan Bader at UFC 192.

–5Dimes opened Robbie Lawler as a -135 ‘chalk’ for his second welterweight title defense against Carlos ‘The Natural Born Killer’ Condit at UFC 193. Lawler was -145 as of early this morning, leaving Condit as a +115 underdog.