Welcome to WrestlingObserver.com’s live coverage of UFC Fight Night 73: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The event is headlined by a five-round light heavyweight bout as former title challenger Glover Teixeira looks to get back in the win column when he takes on Ovince Saint Preux. The action kicks off with preliminary card fights at 6:30 PM eastern time on UFC Fight Pass. The action moves over to FOX Sports 2 at 8 PM eastern time with additional preliminary fights before the main card kicks off on FOX Sports 1 at 10 PM eastern time.
Coverage provided by Dave Meltzer
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC FIGHT PASS- 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT)
LIGHTWEIGHTS- ANTHONY CHRISTODOULOU VS. SCOTT HOLTZMAN
First round: Low kick by Holtzman. Hard low kick by Holtzman. Hard left by Holtzman. They are in a clinch and Holtzman with an elbow. Hard elbow by Holtzman as Christodoulou separated from the clinch. Back in a clinch and an elbow by Holtzman. Holtzman with a hard punch, elbow, knee and more elbows from close range. Another elbow by Holtzman. Nice uppercut by Holtzman. Left and right by Holtzman. Uppercut by Holtzman. 10-9 Holtzman.
Second round: Body kick by Holtzman. Right by Holtzman. Right and left by Holtzman. Spinning elbow by Holtzman. Head kick by Holtzman. Uppercut by Holtzman. Holtzman continues to land punches. Christodoulou working for a leglock. High knee by Holtzman. 20-18 Holtzman.
Third round: Knee to the body from close range by Holtzman. Holtzman landed a right and an elbow. Big right by Holtzman. Holtzman with a takedown. Holtzman has his back. He’s working for a choke and has it now. Christodoulou tapped out. Totally one-sided.
BANTAMWEIGHTS- MARLON VERA VS. ROMAN SALAZAR
First round: Knee by Vera. Takedown by Salazar but Vera moved to the top. Vera tried an armbar which gave Salazar top position. Salazar remaining on top. He landed some elbows from the top. A stand-up was ordered. Salazar was busy on the ground. Vera landing kicks now. Salazar working for a takedown. Salazar in with a punch. Vera shoved him and went for a punch after the round. Salazar 10-9.
Second round: Takedown by Salazar and has his back. Now Vera has regained guard. A few elbows by Salazar. Vera with a triangle from the bottom and throwing elbows. Vera added the armbar and Salazar got the tap with the armbar.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS- CHRIS DEMPSEY VS. JONATHAN WILSON
First round: Wilson dropped him with a left and it was over. :50
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX SPORTS 2- 8 PM ET/5 PM PT)
BANTAMWEIGHTS- FRANKIE SAENZ VS. SIRWAN KAKAI
First round: Saenz with a kick to the body. Kakai with a low kick. Body kick by Saenz. Knees by Saenz. Kakai picked him up and slammed Saenz down. Saenz back up. Saenz landed a good right. Both trading knees. Low kick by Kakai. Saenz worked for a takedown late but time ran out and he didn’t get it. Kakai 10-9.
Second round: Saenz working for a takedown. Didn’t get it. Kakai landed a kick to the liver and punch. Saenz with a takedown and got his back. Kakai back up immediately. Elbow and knee by Saenz. Kakai got a takedown. Saenz back up and landed an elbow. Kakai landed two jabs. Body kick by Saenz. Saenz landed another punch. Close round for Saenz, so 19-19 after two.
Third round: Takedown by Saenz. Saenz got his back and worked for a choke but Kakai out. Elbow by Saenz. Elbows standing by Saenz but Kakai mostly blocked them. Kakai landed a knee. Low kick by Kakai. Body shot by Kakai. Saenz round 29-28.
Scores: 29-28 Kakai 30-27 Saenz 30-27 Saenz.
FLYWEIGHTS- DUSTIN ORTIZ VS. WILLIE GATES
First round: Ortiz took him down. Gates back up. Ortiz with a takedown. Ortiz with another takedown and moved to mount. Ortiz working for an arm triangle. Ortiz gave it up. Ortiz landing body punches. Ortiz landing punches from the top. Ortiz dominated the round but not enough for a 10-8, so 10-9.
Second round: Ortiz with an elbow. Gates tried for a guillotine. They are in a clinch and Ortiz has kept him agianst the cage. Ortiz took him down again. Ortiz landed in mount. Ortiz landing elbows from the top. Ortiz pounded him until Gates gave up his back. Ortiz is working for a choke. Now Ortiz landing a lot of punches. It was about to be stopped when time ran out, a 10-8 round for Ortiz so 20-17 after two.
Third round: Ortiz with a body kick. Ortiz took him down again. Ortiz with a knee to the body and now dropping a lot of punches. Ortiz dropping elbow after elbow. Ortiz landing a ton of punches. This is probably time to stop it. Gates held on. Ortiz dropping more punches and elbows and finally it was stopped by ref Mario Yamasaki.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- CHRIS CAMOZZI VS. TOM WATSON
First round: Camozzi landing punches. Camozzi had a guillotine but Watson out. Both in a clinch. Left by Camozzi. Camozzi continues to land punches. Knee by Camozzi. Camozzi took him down and got his back. Camozzi trying to get a choke. Camozzi has his back again. He’s again working for a choke. Watson escaped. Body kick by Watson. Right by Watson. Elbow by Watson. Camozzi 10-9.
Second round: Watson with a knee to the groin. He’d been warned about this before. He docked a point from Watson. Left by Watson. Camozzi bleeding from the cheek. Camozzi starting to land the jabs. Left by Watson. Watson went for a takedown. Camozzi easily sprawled and is working for a guillotine. Watson escaped. Knee by Watson. Knee and elbow by Watson. Watson got the takedown. Watson’s round, but with the penalty it’s a 9-9 round so 19-18 for Camozzi after two.
Third round: Camozzi landing jabs. Watson with a elbow from up close. Elbow by Camozzi and he followed with a takedown. Watson looks exhausted. Watson up and throwing uppercuts. Another takedown by Camozzi after a knee. Camozzi up and throwing . Knee by Camozzi and an elbow. Camozzi’s round so 29-27 for Camozzi.
Scores: 29-27, 30-26 and 29-27 for Camozzi
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- URIAH HALL VS. OLUWALE BAMGBOSE
First round: Bamgbose threw a kick and Hall used it to take him down. Hall pounded him out on the ground.
MAIN CARD (FOX SPORTS 1- 10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
FLYWEIGHTS- RAY BORG VS. GEANE HERRERA
First round: Borg missed weight. Borg picked him up and slammed him down. Herrera worked for a heel hook. Borg on top throwing punches. Borg now tried a heel hook but let go. Herrera tried for a triangle. Fun round reminiscent of the style of the old Hero’s promotion smaller guys bouts. Borg 10-9.
Second round: Borg with a left and a takedown. Borg working for a guillotine. Herrera out of trouble. Crowd popped for that. Borg stayed on top with some ground and pound. Borg 20-18.
Third round: Takedown by Borg. Herrera landed an elbow from the bottom and Borg is bleeding badly. Borg is throwing punches. The ref stopped it. Borg is not happy because his left eye is bleeding badly and he’s got to be well ahead in the scores. The doctor allowed it to continue. Borg working for a guillotine. Herrera reversed into mount but Borg up. Herrera tried a guillotine but Borg out. Herrera went for a reverse triangle. Herrera tried it a second time. Borg escaped. Borg got his back as time ran out. Borg 30-27.
Scores: All three have it 30-27 for Borg.
WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHTS- SARA MCMANN VS. AMANDA NUNES
First round: McMann trying to thrwo her but Nunes blocked it. McMann took her down but Nunes right back up. Nunes dropped her with punches. Nunes working for a choke. Nunes landing a lot of punches from back position. She’s working for a choke. McMann tapped out. This pretty much ends McMann as a contender and Nunes put herself into position to get a title shot.
HEAVYWEIGHTS- JARED ROSHOLT VS. TIMOTHY JOHNSON
First round: They are in a clinch. Johnson took him down. Rosholt back up. Fans booing the lack of action. Herb Dean separated them. Takedown by Rosholt. Rosholt has full mount. Rosholt 10-9.
Second round: Long clinch. Johnson took him down and got his back. Rosholt reversed to the top. Rosholt working for a top wristlock. Rosholt 20-18.
Third round: Johnson landed a left and several rights. Rosholt got the takedown. Rosholt is tired. Crowd booing. Johnson hurt him with punches. Johnson almost has him out Takedown by Johnson. He shouldn’t have taken him down, he should have kept punching as time ran out because I think his only way to win was via knockout. Johnson’s round so 29-28 Rosholt.
Scores: All three have it 29-28 for Rosholt.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- DEREK BRUNSON VS. SAM ALVEY
First round: Brunson clinched and throwing punches. Brunson landing big shots. Alvey landed good counter shots but Brunson landing more hard punches. Alvey is in trouble and and keeps eating big lefts. Alvey went down. Brunson finished him with punches on the ground. Alvey is furious. Alvey was in trouble but he’s got a granite chin and wasn’t done.
LIGHTWEIGHTS- MICHAEL JOHNSON VS. BENEIL DARIUSH
First round: Not much happened until the last minute. Johnson stumbled him with a left. Now Johnson landing punches. Johnson with more clean shots. Johnson 10-9
Second round: Knee by Dariush. Another knee by Dariush. Good left by Johnson. Johnson landed more punches. Both landed good punches. Dariush with a left. Dariush landed a left. Left uppercut by Dariush. Dariush went for a takedown but Johnson sprawled. This is turing into a good fight. Dariush went for the takedown and didn’t get it. Johnson 20-18.
Third round: Both standing. Knee by Dariush. Johnson with a left. Nice left by Johnson. Johnson landed a good right. Nice jab by Dariush. Close round. Dariush, so Johnson 29-28.
Scores: 29-28 Dariush 29-28 Johnson 29-28 Dariush. That was a bad decision.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS- GLOVER TEIXEIRA VS. OVINCE SAINT PREUX
First round: Teixeira took him down but OSP back up. Teixeira took him down again. OSP back up. Accidental low knee by OSP. OSP hurt him with a body kick. Texieira going for a takedown. OSP with punches. OSP hurt him but Teixeira fired back. Takedown by Teixeira. Teixeira moved to full mount. Teixeira working for a choke. . Now Teixeira in full mount. Teixeira firing punches. Teixeira has his back working for a choke. OSP back up. Teixeira took him down again. Teixeira had his back. OSP reversed to the top. OSP working for a choke himself. Teixeira back up. OSP landing punches. Teixiera 10-9.
Second round: Body kick by OSP. Another body kick. Takedown by Teixeira but OSP out and landed a left. High kick by OSP. Right and left by Teixeira. Teixeira with a body shot. OSP looks tired. Teixeira picked him up and took him down. Teixeira landing elbows. Teixeira dropping elbows. Now he’s landing punches. Teixeira pounding on him. Knee to the body by Teixeira. OSP up and landing punches late. Teixeira 20-18.
Third round: OSP is tired now. Teixeira took him down again. Teixeira has full mount and punching. He’s got OSP’s back and working for a choke. The choke is in. OSP went out from the choke. 3:10
Teixeira said, “Cormier, I’m coming for you.”