UFC Fight Night 77 is an opportunity to see the next stage of development for a number of mixed martial arts fighters. The card has compelling matchups that feature fighters currently outside of the top 15 in their respective weight classes, but who could quickly put themselves there. Patrick Cummins is such an individual. Since his UFC debut on just a few days’ notice, the fighter known as “Durkin” has steadily improved. This weekend, fight fans will have a better gauge of the potential of this light heavyweight.
This Saturday night, Cummins will face the 23-4 Glover Teixeira. Teixeira is a competitor that is moving in a different direction than Cummins. The Brazilian fighter challenged Jon Jones for the 205-pound title at UFC 172, and since then, the 36-year-old Teixeira has floundered in the division. He is 1-1 with a win over Ovince St. Preux at UFC Fight Night 73 and a loss to Phil Davis at UFC 179. Even though he is still highly-ranked in the weight class, one must wonder if he’s truly in a position to challenge for the belt anytime soon.
Cummins has pushed his way into the UFC’s in-house Top 10 contendership rankings after putting together a 4-2 record in the Octagon. His loss to current champion Daniel Cormier at UFC 170 was understandable, as he took the bout a few days before the matchup. However, it is his loss to St. Preux at UFC on Fox 15 that is more concerning. St. Preux packs a level of power into his punches, power that Teixeira can easily mimic, if not exceed. To go along with that power, Teixeira possesses a skill set far more advanced than anything Cummins has faced in the Octagon apart from the Cormier fight.
However, Cummins should not be counted out. In his victories, he’s shown an ability to wrestle and score takedowns at will. His path to victory is in avoiding Teixeira’s power early in the bout and wearing him down with constant positional grappling. Teixeira is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but he uses that ability to maintain position while doling out vicious ground and pound. Cummins must remain on top and in offensive positions to sap Teixeira’s energy in this fight, which is the same strategy that Davis used just one year ago.
According to MMA Oddsbreaker, Cummins is a +350 underdog heading into this fight. Those numbers are understandable, but this fight is much closer than what the odds project. Mixed martial arts is a strange sport in which many fighters suddenly decline after 34 or 35 years of age. At 36, Teixeira isn’t necessarily any less of a threat, but he may be facing a slightly younger opponent that has the perfect skill set to steal away a victory. Whether or not Cummins can pull off that steal remains to be seen.
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UFC Fight Night 77: Belfort vs. Henderson 3 takes place on November 7, 2015 at Auditório Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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